PGA Tour COVID-19 Testing Remains Perfect, Two More Korn Ferry Caddies Test Positive, WD's Need Explanation

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Almost perfect news across the PGA Tour’s testing of players, caddies and family, reports Bob Harig at ESPN.com.

The total of 954 tests over two weeks includes the 98 players, caddies and family members who boarded chartered flights from Dallas on Monday to travel to Hilton Head for the second event on the PGA Tour's revised schedule after a 13-week shutdown because of the coronavirus pandemic. Those who traveled to South Carolina on their own were required to take a test on-site.

Ian Poulter shared his testing experience and the, uh, sensations he felt after the swab went up his nose.

In less positive news, Harig reported this in addition to the previous week’s Korn Ferry Tour’s four positive tests…

On the Korn Ferry Tour, there have been 408 total coronavirus tests conducted, with two positive results, both from non-players.

Obviously issue #1 is the health of those who did test positive. Here’s hoping they get the support necessary to get well and get back looping with no reprecussions for having contracted the virus.

Issue #2, very much a distant second but nonetheless one totally foreseeable: the PGA Tour does not like to disclose much, including who tests positive for anything. In the case of the virus, while perfectly understandable, the current policy leaves players open to unfair speculation.

But this week, Scottie Scheffler, Kevin Na and Cameron Tringale all WD’d from the RBC Heritage. There were some reports about Na’s back if you poked around Twitter, but no clear explanation was given for Scheffler and Tringale upon the news breaking.

Again, it’s a difficult situation. But without a clearer disclosure for WD’s during the COVID-19 era it causes fans to immediately worry about the player’s health.

LPGA Returns July 31st With New Event Set For Storied Inverness

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Kyle Rowland from the Toledo Blade reports the exciting news for golf fans, historians and architecture buffs who will get to see the revamped Inverness a year early.

One of America’s most storied tournament courses before today’s mega-jocks moved to plant based diets and became able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, the Donald Ross classic will still host the 2021 Solheim Cup. But now, thanks to some creative maneuvering, Inverness will be on Golf Channel screens July 31-Aug. 2.

 “Thanks in part to the generosity of our partners who could not reschedule their events in 2020, we are adding a valuable additional playing opportunity for our LPGA Tour members,” Whan said in a press release.

The full release can be read here.

And Golf Course Architecture’s Richard Humphreys profiled Andrew Green’s restoration here.

September's U.S. Open (Golf) vs. September's U.S. Open (Tennis)

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With news of New York approving a U.S. Open at Flushing Meadows, this now joins a rescheduled U.S. Open at Winged Foot in the same state. One is tennis, one is golf and some contrasts are emerging.

Christopher Clarey’s New York Times exclusive item confirms the U.S. Open (tennis) will remain on schedule for Aug. 31 to Sept. 13 without fans.

The USGA’s rescheduled U.S. Open (golf) has not ruled out on-site spectators, though with a stated limit of 2000, it’s hard to see more than a handful of non-essential folks on site.

Back to tennis. As Clarey notes in his item, a lot still has to be figured out regarding travel restrictions for the mostly non-American field to get to New York. Top male player sound unenthusiastic for a number of reasons.

One of the women, world doubles No. 7 Gaby Dobrowski, wrote of her concerns on social media today. Note the final portion and a belief that a U.S. Open is not a proper tournament without qualifying and other divisions beyond singles.

The USGA is forging ahead without local and sectional qualifyings, and according to Dave Shedloski in this GolfDigest.com piece, “strictly due to safety concerns for players, caddies, administrators, rules officials, personnel at the clubs that host them, and anyone else who might have engaged in those nationwide events.”

USGA officials are now in the process of designing a 144-player field (from 156) to get a round in on a 12 hour day versus June’s 15-hour days. But, without the local and sectional qualifyings. The USGA’s John Bodenhamer in Shedloski’s piece:

“We are looking at data, we are looking at those who play year in and year out in the championship and qualifiers. We want to kind of turn over every stone to build a field.”

Top players, for the most part, have not voiced similar concerns as the top players in tennis.

And finally, there will be this matter for both U.S. Opens to face: can you safely host international fields for this event. Or worse, will this situation make it an easy decision to stay home:

Take The PGA Tour's Ryder Cup Poll...Only With The Obvious Missing Question

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AP’s Doug Ferguson lays out the issues facing those charged with determining the 2020 Ryder Cup’s fate. It seems saving the 2021 Presidents Cup—yes the Presidents Cup—because it has been pre-sold, would be a blow to the PGA Tour coffers. So they surveyed top players last week about what to do.

One small problem?

A possible survey winner, Ferguson reports, was not included as an option for a decision that is not even the PGA Tour’s to make.

That’s why the tour went to some of the top players last week at Colonial for a survey. Players were asked to prioritize the following scenarios: a Ryder Cup this year with no fans, a Ryder Cup with half the fans or a Ryder Cup in 2022.

I’m sure it was just an administrative oversight to leave out the other option some might select: postpone the Ryder Cup to 2021.

So in the interest of helping the PGA Tour make a decision that is not theirs to make—the PGA of America controls the 2020 Ryder Cup date—why don’t we do our own poll here with all of the appropriate options?

Given what we currently know, pick the "highest priority" option for the 2020 Ryder Cup:
 
pollcode.com free polls

Video: European Tour Pros Hold A Zoom Conference Call

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The pitch: “9 star golfers. 1 meeting. What could possibly go wrong…?! See what happened when Martin Kaymer hosted a weekly video conference call meeting with fellow golf stars Tommy Fleetwood, Sergio Garcia, Padraig Harrington, Colin Montgomerie, Gary Player, Justin Rose, Henrik Stenson and Lee Westwood.”

The European Tour social team is back and better than ever:


"Watching what Bryson has done, I can only imagine the impact it will have on the young players"

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Bryson DeChambeau’s physical transformation and continued ability to play at a high level is a sight to behold. And something totally unimaginable. Except to the distanistas (guilty!) who have long feared that a day would come where distance was so clearly the primary tool, that we’d see players transforming their bodies to take advantage of the remarkable technological advances.

So we will keep seeing the progression to this modified World Long Drive with the potential for an array of health issues, no sign it’s adding fans to the pro game and worst of all, telling aspiring young golfers trying to find speed to play high level golf (and possibly before their bodies are ready).

Then there are all of the absurd side effects on courses, cost, length of round, and the general cancer such an evolution would be on the game. The governing bodies have never taken these notions seriously in relentlessly passing the buck over the years.

Longtime PGA Tour caddie John Wood noted this other overlooked wrinkle by the governing bodies following the Bryson show at Colonial (below). From this week’s Golf.com roundtable:

3. Bryson DeChambeau’s bulked-up physique and booming tee shots (he hit 11 drives 340 yards or longer) were the talk of the tournament. If DeChambeau’s fine play continues, are we destined to see a wave of beefy bombers descending on PGA Tour tee boxes?

Wood: Yes. I think there is quite a bit of shock at how much his size, his clubhead speed and his ball speed have increased in such a short amount of time, all the while seeming to maintain his flexibility, his feel and accuracy. On Thursday and Friday, we played behind a group that included Brooks, Rory and Rahm. There was a long wait on the 15th hole, and we were there when Brooks got ready to play his tee shot. We were standing behind him, and I remarked to Matt: “You know, looking at him, if this was 10 years ago, you would have thought you were watching a long drive contest.” It just wasn’t believable that a body that big and strong would be conducive to playing great golf. We were wrong. And now, watching what Bryson has done, I can only imagine the impact it will have on the young players we know, and the younger players we don’t know yet. You better get your head out of the sand fast and come up with a long-term plan, USGA and R&A – the ball is going to get longer and longer and longer and longer.

The numbers are just astounding, particularly on a fairly confined course with few so driver holes":

"We have always been united in Europe, and it's important we don't have disharmony."

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Brian Keogh at the Irish Golf Desk reports the comments of former Ryder Cup Captain Paul McGinley, who is part of the Sky Sports team and is also an influential member of the European Tour board.

Discussing the 2020 Ryder Cup sticking with its current date this year despite player demands to cancel a fan-free event, McGinley begged for harmony.

"Personally, I hope it's going to be played and there's some kind of understanding where we all get united rather than the players having on view and Ryder Cup committees having another view," McGinley said during Sky Sports' coverage of the Charles Schwab Challenge on Sunday. 

"It's important that we are united. We have always been united in Europe, and it's important we don't have disharmony.”

I think it’s a little late for that!

What 121 Golf Carts In A Day Looks To A Superintendent

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Matthew Marsh is superintendent at Mesa Verde Country Club where it appears the cart chargers are working overtime to keep the club fleet going. Walkers be damned! Here’s what GPS tracking data shows us 121 carts in one day on one course looks like. And make sure to read the comments!

2.1: Charles Schwab Hits Event High But It's No 6 In The Ratings Department

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CBS did not make any ratings predictions for the “Return to Golf”, but the Charles Schwab Challenge tournament director predicted a final round rating of a 6, which would have been equal to a lot of majors.

The rating is dismal when you consider:

—This was the first live, official PGA Tour event since mid-March.

—Network competition was non-existent. Fox’s presentation of NASCAR was delayed by rain (eventually airing in prime time). NBC was airing the Beverly Hills Dog Show (again). And ABC wheeled out Last Dance (still!).

—Heading into the final round, the leaderboard featured star players and the promise of a close finish (and it was, with Daniel Berger beating Collin Morikawa in a sudden death playoff).

For Immediate Release:

CBS SPORTS DELIVERS MOST-WATCHED FINAL ROUND OF CHARLES SCHWAB CHALLENGE IN 16 YEARS

 Final Round Averaged 3.091 Million Viewers, Up +50% from Last Year

CBS Sports’ return to live PGA TOUR golf scored with viewers as Sunday’s coverage of the Charles Schwab Challenge was the tournament’s most-watched final round in 16 years. 

The final round averaged 3.091 million viewers, an increase of +50% from last year. The national average household rating/share also was up +50% with a 2.1/6.

 The audience for the final round peaked at 3.88 million viewers and a 2.6/7 household rating/share from 5:45-6:00 PM, ET

Thursday’s opening round drew the best non-major Thursday since the 2019 Masters, with an average audience of 683,000.

Friday’s second round dropped to a .07 and 540,000 viewer average, which, while not great, at least edged out Dead Files Repack: TDFL-7R2R04H’s .07 on Travel Channel. So golf has that going for it.

“For tennis and golf, tournaments without fans come at a cost”

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AP’s Howard Fendrich looks at how various sports will fare without fans and it’s worth reading to consider where golf’s issues in the COVID-19 era fit with other spectator-friendly sports.

The golf portion from the PGA Tour’s perspective (but not the major championships).

Eliminating spectators means eliminating significant chunks of a tournament’s revenue. That starts with big-earning hospitality tents and pro-ams that can bring in upward of $1 million, and includes other revenue sources like merchandise and ticket sales. Tournaments rely heavily on title sponsors — “We wouldn’t be able to return” without them, Commissioner Jay Monahan said. But it’s the local sponsorship that sustains each tournament. And if discretionary spending by corporations dries up, the effects could be greater in 2021.

Shack Show 16: Quick(ish) Takes And On PGA Tour's Return

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I spoke my piece in this Winners and Losers post, but wanted to touch on a few of those and just zero in on the most absurd of first world issues, players and microphones that they treat as their Kryptonite.

I’m also joined by show producer Tim Parochka to dive into a few things thar arose Charles Schwab Challenge week, and he dares to bring up the distance issue! No explicit tag was needed, however.

The Apple podcast link where iPhone users can subscribe.

The iHeart link or you can always play the embed below:

"It’s not that the show must go on. It’s that the Tour has decided to let it go on."

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The above quote belongs to Golf’s Michael Bamberger, who covered the PGA Tour’s return at Colonial. It has prompted a thought, but first, the exchange from the SI roundtable, starting with John Wood, looper extraordinaire for Matt Kuchar this week (71-68=MC).

John Wood, PGA Tour caddie for Matt Kuchar (@Johnwould): Pretty much an A+ across the board. The Tour did a phenomenal job of preparing for each and every eventuality. Testing and safety were the number one priorities, and there were redundancies in place for everything. I couldn’t have been more impressed with their preparation. The players were just excited to be back and playing golf, and seemed to handle all the newness in stride. Once they got inside the ropes, things were the same as always. Shoot the lowest score, win the tournament.  

Josh Sens, senior writer (@JoshSens): Watching from afar, it sure seemed to go smoothly. And you could sense the genuine excitement of the players to be back out there competing, which helped make up for the lack of fan electricity. There were oddities, of course, with Nantz flying solo in the booth and no gasps or cheers from a gallery, but there are oddities in almost all of our old rituals these days. Whether there were any public hiccups, I guess we won’t know that for certain for a couple of weeks. But from a distance, it looked a whole lot safer than some pool parties I’ve seen on social media.

Michael Bamberger, senior writer: It was odd. These are odd times. The Tour is being as responsible as it can be by appearance. It’s obvious that the system is not by any means foolproof. It’s not that the show must go on. It’s that the Tour has decided to let it go on. I think they’ve made the right move. But there is no bubble. Way too many variables.

Obviously Bamberger’s remarks stand out because he supports the return, but is highlighting that “too many variables” remain. This presumably is after a week of seeing players spread about in multiple hotels or other locations in the “bubble”. It also suggests pro golf will have to decide if the variables are worth risking and if organizations not governed by the PGA Tour will accept similar risks: namely, the PGA of America, USGA and Masters, all with majors scheduled in late summer and fall.

As I noted in this Schwab Challenge roundup, the optics of seeing several non-players who work for the PGA Tour not adhering to the safety suggestions so clearly on national TV proved jarring and terribly shortsighted. Bad optics or actual viral spread could easily derail the Tour’s plans, the majors and even the perception that golf is a safe haven. The sport is placing a an excessive amount of trust in the PGA Tour to do the right thing.

How Health Experts Rank Golf With 36 "American activities based on risk"

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Adriana Belmonte reports for Yahoo on the classifications of activities in the COVID-19 era. Looks like golf needs to get some of the public experts polled to a golf course when things quiet down. Because equating golf with a museum trip, a hotel stay or even standing in line for groceries seems, well, absurd.

Thanks to reader Steve for sending this, which also included this sobering comment on large gatherings.

Bars, large music concerts, and packed sports stadiums are the riskiest places, according to experts, because of large groups of people congregating together with little room to keep at least six feet apart. 

Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, former special advisor for health policy under the Obama administration, previously stated that he doesn’t see larger gatherings – like concerts, conferences, and sporting events — returning until “fall 2021 at the earliest.”