Return To Golf: Tour Caddies Will Be Asked To Clean Bunker Rakes, Flagsticks After Replacing

While getting the all-clear on COVID-19 is not required of PGA Tour players before traveling to Colonial, when they present, the conditions will be plenty sanitary.

Or, maybe the whining about unraked bunkers and having to putt with a flagstick in actually paid off?

Either way, the policy above, spelled out in the guide sent to players a week out from the PGA Tour’s return in Fort Worth appears unsustainable. Furthermore, from what we’ve learned of COVID-19, outdoor surfaces are less likely to be a problem.

While there will be some entertainment in watching what caddies devise for stockpiling and accessing disinfectant wipes, it would just be so much better for golf if flagsticks were left in the cup and rakes were stored in maintenance yards.

PGA Tour's Return To Golf Does Not Require A Home COVID-19 Test

In reading how the USTA is going to great lengths to envision a way to play the 2020 U.S. Open at Flushing Meadows, it was understandable to see that tennis’ best would be required to test negative for COVID-19 before getting on a plane.

So it was a bit surprising to see such a stipulation was not required in golf’s return given how players are coming from many regions and using different means of travel to Colonial June 8-14.

This is from Brian Wacker’s GolfDigest.com story on the “Player Participant Guide” sent to players in advance of next week’s Charles Schwab Challenge:

Most notable among the guidelines is that while COVID-19 testing is a condition of competition, the at-home test players and caddies take before traveling is not required but rather “strongly encouraged.” Also, should a player or caddie test positive while at a tournament, they’ll receive a stipend from the Tour to cover associated costs, but only if they have taken the at-home test and tested negative. Players are, however, required to fill out daily self-screening questionnaires starting seven days prior to departing for a tournament.

“The at-home test is intended to help players avoid the unlikely situation of testing positive and be required to quarantine away from home,” said Joel Schuchmann, PGA Tour VP of communiations, when reached by Golf Digest.

So the PGA Tour’s view is that the pre-tournament test is one to prevent an inconvenient stranding, but if safety of players and those around them was the ultimate priority, I would think an all-clear test before traveling was one of the most important steps.

This hole in the “bubble” is one of several—media and spouses/partners/companions who choose to travel and stay with players are not mentioned in any of the documents as part of the testing bubble. This, combined with not requiring an all-clear test after three months away from the Tour, explains why the word “screening” has been used to date.

Seeing the description in the player resource guide only makes it that much more confounding to start the bubble arrival knowing all have already been cleared to travel to Colonial:

If only it were that convenient for the rest of the world to get a test. I digress.

The other noticeable loophole involves players being able to stay in a rental home, RV or at the “bubble” hotel with a companion not allowed at the course, but also free to roam the host city or anywhere but the golf course.

"Will the PGA Tour's fine line of testing protocols be enough when play returns?"

With exactly two weeks the PGA Tour restarts its season at Colonial, Rex Hoggard wonders if the organization’s threading of “an impressive needle” to balance testing issues is enough. Particularly as the grim total of 100,000 deaths in the U.S. was reached and COVID-19 testing in some markets remains an issue.

The Tour’s plan to bring all of the required diagnostic tools and testing supplies to each event alleviates what would be a bad look in communities where tests aren’t readily available, but it also talks to the limitations of the policy no matter how detailed or well-designed.

Within the Tour’s testing “bubble” are players, caddies and essential personnel, like rules officials, but the vast majority of volunteers, media or the staff at local hotels would not be tested. Instead, they would be screened with thermal readings and questionnaires.

The potential blind spot in the Tour’s testing protocols is a misgiving that at least one top player gave a voice this week.

“An asymptomatic person could operate within a tournament,” Adam Scott told the Australia Associated Press. “If they're not showing symptoms, and I somehow picked it up inside the course, and I'm disqualified, I'm now self-isolating [in that city] for two weeks. I'd be annoyed if that happened.”

I’m a bit surprised at this point that we’ve heard very little from the PGA Tour on two fronts.

First, why exactly volunteers and media are not being tested after Scott raised his concerns?

And second, what is the Tour doing to try and ease the blow of lost charitable dollars to upcoming events? Or, tell us how, as a non-profit organization enjoying significant tax breaks because of charitable giving, is doing with these returning events to promote testing, wellness, a carefully conceived return to normalcy and, or, what they are doing give back to the communities visited.

"Pro golfers among foreign athletes now cleared for travel into U.S."

GolfChannel.com’s Brentley Romine reports on a Department of Homeland Security order announced late Friday paving the way for international athletes to travel to the United States amidst travel bans from their home countries.

“Professional sporting events provide much needed economic benefits, but equally important, they provide community pride and national unity,” Wolf wrote. “In today’s environment, Americans need their sports. It’s time to reopen the economy and it’s time we get our professional athletes back to work.”

The sports leagues mentioned in the Department of Homeland Security’s announcement included the PGA Tour and LPGA, which each have a significant number of members who reside outside of the U.S. The exception also includes the various leagues’ essential staff, leadership and dependents, as well as athletes’ family members.

While the order certainly clears one major hurdle for upcoming scheduled golf tournaments, the next layer involves players and their willingness to actually travel.

So far, Tommy Fleetwood, Francesco Molinari and Lee Westwood have all made clear they are not eager to jump on a plane and quarantine for 14 days on either side of the Atlantic.

Players will need to be in the United States by Monday or Tuesday 25th or 26th if they intend to quarantine for 14-days and also play a Charles Schwab practice round at Colonial.

Meanwhile as many elements remain unclear, Rex Hoggard reports that player travel between events will be on a 737 with 114 seats available. Guess all those bigger planes are too busy aging in the desert to be used.

Adam Scott Taking Wait-And-See Approach To PGA Tour Return

Evin Priest talks to this year’s Genesis Invitational winner and world no. 6 Adam Scott about the PGA Tour’s planned return at Colonial June 8-11.

The verdict? Scott does not think the Tour’s protocols are tight enough and he’s passing for the first seven weeks of play.

"What concerns me is dialogue that (the tour) is hopeful of returning one or two-hour test (results). You'd want that in place before competing.

"The other (concern) is it seems an asymptomatic person could operate within a tournament.
"If they're not showing symptoms and I somehow picked it up inside the course and I'm disqualified I'm now self-isolating (in that city) for two weeks. I'd be annoyed if that happened.

"I thought you'd start quite tight and loosen those protocols to normal if appropriate."

As for his comment on testing and protocols, the two loosest areas that may be a stumbling block for players are with the PGA Tour’s use of nasal swab tests that “at best” will return a result in 24-48 hours. And the “bubble” for travel and lodging is still just a recommendation according to the Tour’s 37-page document, meaning players can use other means of lodging and flight (or car).

Here is the testing element Scott appears to be referring to as not returning results fast enough:

The travel element seems to leave a few holes in the “bubble” but I’m also not sure how else it can be done, which again reminds that expanding fields for this return could turn out to be a huge headache.

On lodging, the bubble hotel is a strong recommendation, but not required:

And this also may be part of Scott’s trepidation given the number of people able to come, go and be exposed elsewhere:

Variety: "TV Networks Bet on Golf to Lure Sports Audiences Back to the Screen"

Variety’s Brian Steinberg talks to various network types to report on how live golf is garnering interest in the ad world at a time when buys are on a severe decline. Whether it’s a scarcity matter or renewed faith in pro golf as a promotional tool, remains to be scene, according to Steinberg:

Others are placing emphasis on golf, too. WarnerMedia has sold all its commercial inventory for its May 24 broadcast of a celebrity golf match between Tiger Woods, Tom Brady, Phil Mickelson and Peyton Manning. And CBS is seeing high interest for PGA Tour events it plans to air in June, with appropriate social-distancing requirements. “For us, the PGA starts on June 11 in Texas. We’re seeing very strong demand for that,” said ViacomCBS CEO Bob Bakish during a recent call with investors.

Golf has long been important to various networks, which fill hours of their weekend schedules televising the Masters and sundry PGA Tour stops. That relationship was spotlighted in early March, when ESPN, CBS and NBC agreed to a new nine-year pact with PGA Tour that could come to at least $680 million.

Whether the current demand reflects a new desire for golf – or for Nascar, another sport that started up last weekend with a race that took place in South Carolina without fans – remains to be seen.

Westwood: "Not worth it" To Travel To America For PGA, Other Tournaments

As the PGA Tour gears up for a return, the likelihood of overseas players traveling to the United States appears increasingly unlikely. Tommy Fleetwood before and now Lee Westwood, talking to Todd Lewis on Golf Central, says it’s “not worth it” to travel to the U.S. with concerns about the pandemic, quarantining and other issues.

This increasingly looms as a huge issue for the three planned majors, which pride themselves on field strength and diversity of representation. Should the rest of the world not want to come here to play, will that factor into final decisions on whether to play the rescheduled PGA, U.S. Open and Masters.

The full interview:

California Governor Opens The Door To Possible Sports Events In June

Looking highly unlikely just days ago, PGA of America officials must be pleased to see California Governor Gavin Newsom opening the door to a possible return of sports in California.

Fans are out for the foreseeable future and many other conditions must be met, but the early August PGA still has a shot at being played. However, major changes in rules for world travel would need to change if the PGA wants to play with a traditional international field.

Recently, Tommy Fleetwood said he would not be partaking in the PGA Tour’s June return due to rules on quaranting on both sides of the Atlantic.

The governor’s remarks:

California Gov. Gavin Newsom says the state could see pro sports return by the first week of June without fans. pic.twitter.com/j4PPg56Yn7

— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) May 18, 2020

Ratings: "Driving Relief" Draws A Traditional Tour Event-Sized Audience

While NASCAR’s return garnered massive ratings, golf’s “live” return up against most of the first race back did not stand a chance. Why the attempt at competing with non-exhibition sports, we’ll never know. (Golf was the second biggest sports event of the week in terms of eyeballs and just held off a strong challenge from the Beverly Hills Dog Show.)

More importantly: the only number from TaylorMade Driving Relief that matters: $5.5 million and counting raised for COVID-19 related causes, with United Health and Farmers doing the biggest check-writing.

As for the TV audience, golf fans returned. But when the release compares the exhibition with 2019 Tour events, it becomes clear sports fans probably went with NASCAR.

For Immediate Release:

TAYLORMADE DRIVING RELIEF EARNS 2.35 MILLION VIEWERS (TAD) ACROSS NBC, GOLF CHANNEL, NBCSN & STREAMING

Golf’s Return to Television Has Raised More Than $5.5 Million for COVID-19

Relief Efforts So Far; Donations Continue via PGATOUR.com/DrivingRelief

ORLANDO, Fla. (May 18, 2020) – Live golf returned for the first time in two months on Sunday, with TaylorMade Driving Relief supported by UnitedHealth Group, which saw a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of 2.35 million average viewers (2-6:33p ET; P2+) across NBC, GOLF Channel, NBCSN, along with NBC Sports and PGA TOUR streaming platforms. Rory McIlroy and Dustin Johnson defeated Rickie Fowler and Matthew Wolff in a charity skins match that has raised more than $5.5 million for COVID-19 relief efforts. Donations are continuing at PGATOUR.com/DrivingRelief.

“Sunday’s telecast helped raise awareness for the American Nurses Foundation, CDC Foundation and Off Their Plate, three organizations on the frontlines of COVID-19 relief efforts. It’s a credit to the PGA TOUR, corporate partners and the players for making this event a terrific success,” said Pete Bevacqua, president, NBC Sports Group. “On top of the funds raised for these charitable entities, audiences were treated to their first look at Seminole Golf Club, which ultimately was the fifth star on Sunday in its television debut.”

A 2.35 million TAD for Sunday’s live broadcast is relatively flat for average viewership compared to CBS’ and NBC’s 2nd Quarter 2019 PGA TOUR Final Round average (2.32M vs 2.38M average viewership, -2%). Additionally, Persons 25-54 garnered 762,000 average viewers, up 44% vs. CBS/NBC’s 2019 2nd Quarter PGA TOUR Final Round average.

Top Europeans Not Likely To Travel To U.S. For PGA Tour Restart

From Ewan Murray’s Guardian story on PGA Tour testing and the issues facing European players who will face a 14 day quarantine to play, with another 14 days awaiting in the United Kingdom upon returning.

Mostly notably, Tommy Fleetwood and Francesco Molinari do not expect to be among those supporting the planned restart.

Speaking at the start of this week, Fleetwood suggested he regards the restrictions as too prohibitive. “I’m not going to travel to America and stay away for four months, that is simply not a consideration,” the world No 10 said. It is understood Molinari, who lives in London, will not travel for the June events either.

PGA Tour Rolls Out Testing Plans: Quick Results From Local Labs And No Disclosure Who Tests Positive

The PGA Tour officials charged with getting operations going are in a no-win situation as COVID-19 offers new surprises and different understandings each day. That said, the testing and protocol rollout for select media highlighted potential flaws, starting with the oddity of a player receiving a positive virus test while in contention.

From Luke Kerr-Dineen’s Golf.com on what happens with a positive:

If the test comes back positive, that player is immediately escorted off site, withdrawn from the event and given a last-place payout.

It doesn’t matter if that player is leading the event, is largely asymptomatic, is in last place or somewhere in between; you test positive, you’re out. It’s a smart but tough new rule, the kind required in the current landscape. A sign of the times would be a scenario where the leader of the event could be withdrawn from the contest for safety concerns, rewarded with a last-place check and a 10-day quarantine.

The Tour, for its part, said that it wouldn’t disclose the identity of any player who does test positive.

But as Pat Perez told Mark Cannizzaro of the New York Post, it’s hard to see that scenario playing out. He made the remarks in his overall statement suggesting the return is happening too soon.

“Let’s say I leave Scottsdale [his home] and I don’t have that virus and I get to Dallas and I’ve got it?’’ he said. “The Tour’s going to have a real problem with me if that happens. Let’s say a guy gets tested on Tuesday and he tests positive when he comes back on Thursday. Is he [disqualified]?

“And, are you telling me that if Tiger Woods or Rory McIlroy or another big name that drives our tour is leading entering Sunday, you’re going to DQ him if he tests positive? I dare you. There’ll be a [bleeping] riot.’’

GolfDigest.com’s Joel Beall noted that “ambiguity remains” about many of the planned elements, including how many positive cases at an event would be cause for a stoppage.

What remains unclear is what number of positive tests constitute a critical mass for the Tour. A single test would not be enough to deter the tournament from continuing, said senior vice president of tournament administration Andy Levinson, and there’s not a specific number of positive tests the tour has in mind that would enact a cancellation.

Not ambiguous is the PGA Tour’s plan to use local labs in each city to check nasal swabs for the virus, highlighting how cumbersome it is right now to run a testing operation for 400 of the expected 1100 or so on site while moving from city to city.

The Tour’s Andy Levinson from the transcript of the press session:

Our testing group includes all of our players and caddies, and as I mentioned earlier, some other select personnel that have to be in close proximity with them. That number on average weekly will be around 400. As the mayor of Fort Worth was quoted earlier this week in saying they have facilitated conversations for us with UTSW, who have laboratories throughout the area, and we are confident that we'll be able to conduct our testing in a manner that is not taking away from the community. We will be providing our own supplies and sourcing all of that, as well.

For the results, we know we can get results back immediately on the questionnaire and thermal screenings. In most communities, PCR test results take anywhere from one to three days, but what we're really focusing on is identifying local laboratories who aren't overly burdened with community testing or may not currently be community testing at all at this time, and trying to decrease that turnaround time to a matter of hours instead of a matter of days, and as we've said, we wouldn't do this with local laboratories, if, again, we were taking resources away from the community.

I’m sure there are local labs not burdened somwhere in the United States, but given the third day in a row of over 1000 new cases in Texas driven mostly by outbreaks in jails, the first market may have some backlogs on the test-results front.

The week two tournament is in Hilton Head, where he closest lab is reportedly in Charlotte.

On the optics front, if PGA Tour players, caddies, officials and others get priority over locals, it could be disastrous. And even if labs are not strained, the visuals of players getting tested and moved to the front of the line is not great. Especially if it’s so they can play a practice round. That could easily make national or international news and backfire on the event sponsor.

Players (Mostly) Laud PGA Tour's Efforts To Return From Pandemic To "Help The World With Something To Watch"

Steve DiMeglio talks to several players who laud the PGA Tour’s efforts to return to action and the efforts to set an example for the United States to return to a form of normalcy.

From Kevin Kisner:

“So, we’re going to go about with the safest, healthiest way to get back to work and have a quality product for our fans, have a presentable product for TV and help the world with something to watch.”

Zach Johnson feels the COVID-19 virus isn’t going away, so move forward.

“This thing is not going away. You can’t mitigate the entire risk. At some point you have to open up this country. You have to start thinking about some semblance of normalcy. We are just golf. But the beauty of golf is we are outside, we can take social distancing to the extremes, and within our bubble we can create as much safety as we can. I don’t think it’s too soon.”

Add Harold Varner to the list saying we can’t live in fear.

“I have to live,” Varner said. “I have to get my life back to normal as much as possible. I’ll do whatever they say, I’ll follow all the rules. We can’t live in fear.

“We have to start to get back up from off the floor.”

Brian Harman also took the view the PGA Tour will help get the country moving again.

“It’s important that we make the effort to get started again,” Brian Harman said. “It’s important for the country that we all start easing back into work because at some point or another, we have to get over this thing, as awful as it’s been and is. In some way, shape or form, we have to get things moving again.”

And then there is Nate Lashley, playing in the Scottsdale Open, with this reported by Alan Shipnuck:

Lashley was similarly relaxed about the virus, saying, “It’s not something I’m overly worried about right now. If you get it, you get it; you get through it and move on with your life. At this point, here in Arizona I don’t personally know anybody who has been affected by it, so for us to come out and be extremely precautious feels like it’s a little overblown.”

Those final remarks by Lashley, if heard on a national scale when the limelight is on the PGA Tour, could be devastating in the optics department.

One player who is planning to play at Colonial also thinks “it’s not time to go yet.” That’s Pat Perez, quoted by Mark Cannizzaro in this New York Post story today:

“It’ll be ready when its ready. You can’t rush this kind of thing. You can’t rush getting people back together in this sort of deal.’’

The PGA Tour’s new safety regulations include COVID-19 testing for all players and caddies before they arrive at the tournament and when they get there, along with thermal testing every day before entry to the golf course, social distancing and a number of other stringent guidelines that will make the tournaments feel very different than usual.

“If I can’t go back to work normal, then there’s no reason to do it,’’ Perez said. “Get it right, get everybody safe. People act like it’s been five years without sports. It’s only been about five or six weeks [actually nine].’’

PGA Tour Presents Players With Health & Safety Plans, Including A Recommendation To Use Avis Rental Cars

GolfDigest.com’s Brian Wacker reports on the 37-page “deck” provided to players and PGA Tour constituents outlining the “Return To Golf Events” starting June 11-14 at Colonial.

Chief among the plan’s tenets is that COVID-19 testing will be required of players as a condition of competition, similar to that of the organization’s drug policy. Testing protocols will include three methods—a questionnaire, thermal reading and nasal swab or saliva test. Players and caddies will have to be screened pre-travel, upon arrival with all three methods and daily with a questionnaire and thermal reading.

According to the document, the results from nasal swabs will take at least 24-48 hours. Players who are waiting for test results may practice or play on-site but will have no access to course facilities.

Parking lot shoe change for you.

Should someone test positive for COVID-19, they will be required to self isolate for a minimum of 10 days with no subsequent symptoms, or two negative test results at least 24 hours apart. The Tour and tournament would provide support throughout the isolation period and travel home by car would be allowed if deemed safe.

So just remember, rent with Avis and hopefully they’ll be flexible on the drop off location. Likely to be DFW but could be somewhere in Florida, too.

Speaking of Avis, the PGA Tour’s “official rental car” got a nice shoutout in the document’s transportation slide that, along with select other screen grabs, were shared with me:

As for testing, the document notes players, caddies and volunteers will get that picked up by the Tour. Media? No. And the television crew situation will be addressed by the networks, with information coming at a later date.

Here is the testing summed up by Rex Hoggard at GolfChannel.com:

Results for the PCR nasal swabs will take 24-48 hours and those waiting for results can still practice and play but will not have access to other onsite facilities.

“In implementing our testing plan, we will not do so in a manner that takes away from testing and medical resources in the communities in which we play or for affected groups in those communities,” the plan read.

Those who test positive will not be allowed to continue with the competition and, per federal and local health guidelines, they will be isolated for at least 10 days. A player who tests positive after making the cut at an event will receive last place earnings.

And one can presume, though one never knows when talking about something so precious, last place FedExCup points.

The document’s is, mercifully, reassuring when it comes to the Tour’s priorities.

I found this item on scoring and roping of interest, though it was the Masters scoreboard clipart that temporarily had me wondering if manual scoreboards were making some sort of retro-infused comeback.

Of course it’s not all about health and safety, commerce must go on and various acronyms are exploring all forms of exposure. Wait, maybe that’s not the best word these days.

Speaking of commerce, the ten-percenters and their stand-ins are not welcome on site, but the other folks who can work out a few kinks will be there.

Oddly, the on-site media will be allowed, but not tested, just temperature checked and asked questions. That could return misleading numbers since we all know how hot writers get when shuttles fail to run on time or the WiFi drops to double-digit download speeds.

On the full Orwellian front, “pool” reporters will be used to lob softer balls than normal. And if they bring a recording device capturing what someone actually says, life in prison awaits.

Oh, and approval of interviews of the independent contractors, is necessary:

All in all I’d say the plan appears well thought out and logical, with caddies getting to act like they normally do, the necessary folks allowed on site and safety well-considered. But it’s also amazing how many questions need resolution with just under four weeks to go and the folks working in enclosed spaces—media and TV—not inside of the regrettably termed “bubble”.

Player: Vijay Singh Has No Business Playing Korn Ferry Tour

With so much going on in the world far more grave than whether Vijay Singh takes up a spot in a Korn Ferry Tour event, plenty have wondered why the story got so much attention.

Before I direct you to Mike Van Sickle’s guest piece for MorningRead.com, I’ll say its pretty simply a case of entitlement.

When Harvard and the Lakers were found to have accepted PPP funds during the COVID-19 pandemic, they returned the funds because no sane individual could make a case for either entity being entitled to funds meant to keep workers on payrolls.

While Phil Mickelson and others backed the 57-year-old Singh’s right to take a spot away from a player trying to build or rebuild their career on a developmental tour, it is the golf equivalent of the Lakers taking money they do not need.

From Van Sickle’s guest piece, and I do feel a channeling of another writer named Van Sickle with the closing zinger here:

The player who gets bumped from the field may be stocking grocery-store shelves to pay his mounting bills, such as what KFT player Erik Barnes has been doing at a Publix in southwest Florida during the coronavirus-imposed golf shutdown, just so Singh can get some “reps” to get ready when senior golf resumes.

Obviously, the rules say Singh can play. A PGA Tour player can dip into the KFT if he isn’t eligible to play in a PGA Tour event during the same week. Singh, a World Golf Hall of Fame member with a lifetime exemption, is not in the field at the PGA Tour’s Charles Schwab Challenge on June 11-14 in Fort Worth, Texas. So, he can play his local KFT event, which is practically in his backyard. He lives in the Ponte Vedra Beach area and is a divot-making machine at the TPC Sawgrass range. Singh is within his rights to play, under tour rules, even if it’s like Phil Hellmuth showing up for the weekly $10 buy-in poker night at your neighbor’s house to “get some reps.”

For Reasons Unknown, Files: Steve Stricker And PGA Of America Announce Two More 2020 Ryder Cup Cart Drivers

I stand corrected: the vice captains no longer drive their own carts. At least, in pandemic-free times.

However, if the 2020 Ryder Cup happens this year, these task force favorites may return behind the wheel to retrieve bananas and shuttle WAGs.

Wait, that’s not happening for a while, either.

Anyway, why anyone thought the world needed to know Zach Johnson and Davis Love were joining Jim Furyk as Steve Stricker’s kitchen cabinet when the U.S. death toll from COVID-19 topped 80,000, is beyond me.

The brevity of Joel Beall’s GolfDigest.com item about sums up the importance of this “news”.