Coronavirus: PGA Tour weighs options for resumption

LOS ANGELES • The US PGA Tour is considering various scenarios to a return to competition in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, including playing some events without fans, Golf Digest reported on Friday.

The Tour told players in a memo sent on Thursday, and obtained by Golf Digest, that it was targeting a return for the Charles Schwab Challenge on May 21 at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas.

The Tour suspended its season on March 12 after the first round of the Players Championship and has since called off tournaments up till the Byron Nelson Championship scheduled for May 7-10.

ESPN reported that the Tour is expected to announce more cancellations next week.

Players were told in the memo that officials hope to "preserve the maximum number of events we can while giving us more time as the crisis evolves".

Officials told players they will rely on guidance from health and government authorities before a decision. If a May resumption of play is not possible as shelter-in-place directives remain in effect, a restart at Colonial could be moved to June 11-14, taking the dates originally set for the Canadian Open, which is expected to be cancelled.

The Tour told players they would have three to four weeks' notice before the season resumes.

"We understand many of you may be impacted by travel restrictions and/or the inability to practise in your area, thus we want to be able to give you as much time as possible to allow you to come back fully prepared," the memo said.

Every major sport across North America has been in shutdown.

While professional leagues are exploring the practicalities of how and when competition may resume, a survey by Seton Hall University found that a large majority of Americans would be reluctant to attend sporting events unless a vaccine for the disease is developed.

The survey of 762 people carried out from April 6-8 found that 72 per cent would not feel safe attending a sports event without a vaccine. Among identified sports fans, 61 per cent said they would not feel safe. Twelve per cent said they would feel safe only if social distancing measures were in force while only 13 per cent said they would feel safe.

The proportion of identified US sports fans in the survey who would not feel safe attending events unless a vaccine for the coronavirus is developed.

"This virus has the attention and respect of the nation," said Rick Gentile, director of the Seton Hall Sports Poll, which is sponsored by the Sharkey Institute within the Stillman School of Business.

"Those who identify as sports fans, at all levels of interest, line up closely with the general population with regard to their own safety and that of the players."

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE