The PGA Tour has announced that its campaign will resume on June 8 after releasing its revised schedule which concludes on September 8 with the Tour Championship.
The Tour was originally targeted to resume on May 18 with the Charles Schwab Challenge. However, due to the growing COVID-19 concerns and The Players Championship being cancelled, the event will now take place on June 8.
“The health and safety of all associated with the PGA TOUR and our global community continues to be our No. 1 priority, and our hope is to play a role – responsibly – in the world’s return to enjoying the things we love,” stated PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan.
“Today’s announcement is another positive step for our fans and players as we look toward the future, but as we’ve stressed on several occasions, we will resume competition only when – working closely with our tournaments, partners and communities – it is considered safe to do so under the guidance of the leading public health authorities.”
As a result of the rescheduling, PGA announced that the RBC Canadian Open, which was scheduled in June, has been canceled to accommodate the Charles Schwab Challenge.
The RBC Heritage has also been reinstated into the PGA Tour calendar after being canceled on March 17. The course will replace the US Open’s originally scheduled June 15 slot due to the Open being postponed to September.
A PGA spokesperson added: “At this time, the TOUR plans to resume play with the first four events closed to the general public but will continue to monitor the situation and follow the recommendations of local and state authorities in order to determine the most appropriate on-site access in each market. As such, the TOUR will continually review available COVID-19-related protocols that could be implemented at PGA TOUR events to ensure the health and well-being for all involved.
“All three events that were previously scheduled between May 18 and June 8 – the Charles Schwab Challenge, Rocket Mortgage Classic and the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide – have been moved to later dates in the calendar.”
Finally, the organisation revealed that The Barbasol Championship will also be cancelled alongside The Open Championship, which itself was cancelled on April 6. Further restrictions could be applicable if more restrictions are put in place during the coronavirus crisis.
