PGA Tour reportedly plans to restart at Colonial in June. But would fans be there?
The Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club is expected to remain on the PGA Tour’s schedule ... for June.
According to a report by Golf Digest, the PGA Tour will announce an updated schedule this week with plans to restart the season at Colonial on June 11-14. A source close to the tournament acknowledged late Tuesday that a date change is likely.
The Colonial has been scheduled to be played next month over Memorial Day weekend (May 21-24), as the PGA Tour’s first event back amid the coronavirus pandemic. But, as Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley said on Tuesday, that date was “really going to push it.”
Golf Digest said no fans were expected to be allowed to attend this year’s Colonial, although a source said they “didn’t know” whether that would be the case.
The June 11-14 date falls when the PGA Tour is scheduled to play the RBC Canadian Open in Toronto. Toronto has canceled all city-led events through June 30, although sports were not included in that mandate.
At the end of the day, it appears the PGA Tour prefers to get things going again at Colonial. The field is expected to include 144 players, rather than the usual 120-player field for invitational events, to provide more spots for players who have been sidelined since the PGA Tour canceled the Players Championship following the first round on March 12.
The Golf Digest report said the PGA Tour’s revamped schedule is predicated on guidance from health and government officials. Texas currently requires a 14-day quarantine for anyone flying into the state from a number of cities and states, including Miami, Atlanta, Detroit, New Orleans and Chicago, as well as California, Washington, New York, Connecticut and New Jersey.
The Colonial has been played every year since 1949 (flood). Kevin Na is the defending the champion of the event.
