Golf Digest Surveys PGA Tour Players On What Is Needed For A Return

Golf Digest’s reporters surveyed 35 PGA Tour players and just over half said they are only will compete “if there is a comprehensive testing plan in place at every event”. The next largest subset does not need testing but supports safety measures at events.

The options:

A) I don’t need anything to be different than before the virus. I’m ready to play.
B) I am willing to compete under whatever safety measures the PGA Tour chooses to implement, but don’t think we need comprehensive testing at tournaments.
C) I am only willing to compete if there is a comprehensive testing plan in place at every event.
D) I am not willing to compete until a vaccine or major medical development is in place.

And this was noteworthy:

Players, who were told they could answer anonymously, were also asked to elaborate further regarding their thinking. Some chose to go on the record while others asked for anonymity, but their responses help frame the issues many within golf are weighing as they contemplate a return to competition.

“I do trust [the Tour’s] decision-making process, but I’m not sure that the decision to start playing or not start playing has much to do with trusting their decisions,” said Stewart Cink. “To me this feels like a very personal decision about when the comfort level is enough to get back out there traveling. And also there’s still the very significant factor of social accountability and whether it's right to get back into a routine where everyone is traveling, etc.”

Increasingly, it seems travel worries and optics of returning are going to be as important as whatever testing protocols the PGA Tour develops.

Incidentally, Cink’s caddy, Kip Henley, called out Policy Board member Charley Hoffman this week on Twitter as another “rich guy sitting at home” in not considering the economic need to return to tournament play.