For fans hoping the return of competitive golf in 2020 remains as (re-)scheduled, a morsel of good news has appeared in the form of this 27-word tweet.
We're pleased to announce that we will be open to the public for golf beginning on Monday, May 4th. Tee times can be made on our website: https://t.co/iW513fGT5o pic.twitter.com/WLvVf3UKdQ
— TPC Harding Park (@TPCHardingPark) May 2, 2020
That the San Francisco course set to host the 2020 PGA Championship, which was to be held May 14-17 before the coronavirus pandemic forced a delay, is re-opening is no guarantee that the tournament is all clear for its new August 6-9 dates. California Governor Gavin Newsom has said that the prospects of mass gatherings in the state before September is unlikely and there remain numerous logistical hurdles to holding a Major championship that must still be worked out.
However…
It’s heartening to see the public facility, closed since March 16 after local officials issued a shelter-in-place order for the six Bay Area counties, is ready to open its doors for public play. This past week, the shelter-in-place order was extended, but with modifications that allow golf courses to re-open to the public with various safety guidelines.
As Newsom and local officials speak cautiously about holding sporting events in the state this northern summer, PGA of America chief executive Seth Waugh has noted that the association is reviewing contingencies that include holding the event at Harding Park without fans if necessary.
“If the safest and/or the only way to [hold the PGA] is to do it without fans, we’re fully prepared to do that,” Waugh said last month. “We believe that having it as a television event is worth doing regardless of whether there’s fans there or not.”
The PGA Tour is scheduled to resume its 2020 schedule on June 11 at the Charles Schwab Challenge in Texas. The tournament, along with the RBC Heritage, Travelers Championship and Rocket Mortgage Classic, are all to be played without spectators.
