Leaders of the major sports in the United States continue to search for ways to return to action. There have been several options and challenges facing all of the leagues, but it appears that the PGA is set to make an announcement this week to set their schedule going forward.
Golf Digest is reporting that sources have indicated that the PGA is set to make an announcement on Thursday that the season will return in June with the Charles Schwab Challenge. The Charles Schwab Challenge is scheduled to take place from June 11-14 at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas.
The PGA Tour is expected to announce that no fans will be allowed to be in attendance at this event, but organizers are anxious to get the season up and running.
Leaders of the PGA Tour have been meeting closely with government leaders and other health officials, and they appear to have support from both parties. The leaders have also recently spoke to members of the Players Advisory Council in preparation for this announcement.
Last week, PGA Tour players were sent a memo stating that a return was being planned for the Charles Schwab Classic. The original date of the tournament was May 21-24, but the cancellation of the RBC Canadian Open gave the PGA Tour a chance to push back the event at Colonial.
The rest of the PGA Tour calendar is a bit up in the air, with an open date currently on the schedule for the week after the Charles Schwab Challenge. The US Open was supposed to be held on June 18-21, but that event has now been pushed to September.
According to US Gambling Sites, Sources have indicated that there is talk of the RBC Heritage filling that open spot. The RBC Heritage at Harbour Town Golf Links on Hilton Head Island was supposed to take place this week.
Still More To Be Planned
While the PGA Tour is looking for a June return, some additional tournaments might need to be moved or canceled based on how states are dealing with the coronavirus pandemic. The state of Texas requires a 14-day quarantine period for anyone that flies into the state, while other states are currently extending shelter in place orders.
California Governor Gavin Newsom is on the record saying that any large mass gatherings or sporting events will likely need to be canceled through August.
With this in mind, the PGA of America is looking into other options for the PGA Championship event set to take place in California on August 6-9. Harding Park in San Francisco is set to host the event, and the PGA of America is looking into the feasibility of hosting the event without any fans.
Another option currently being explored is to move the tournament to another location, but there is hope that it will be able to take place with fans as currently scheduled. PGA of America is hoping that by following proper social distancing guidelines and putting a restriction on the number of fans will allow the event to take place at Harding Park.
The PGA Tour last hosted an event on March 13 when The Players Championship was canceled after the first round. One of the four majors has already been canceled, as The Open Championships will not be held in the UK this year.
All three of the other major tournaments, The Masters, PGA Championship, and US Open, have all been rescheduled to later dates.
The PGA Tour is dealing with another of other scheduling issues, and a revamped schedule for the remainder of the year is expected to come with this announcement.
