From no fans to honoring George Floyd, the PGA Tour’s new ‘normal’ starts at Colonial
Rory McIlroy is ready for golf’s return even if the new “normal” isn’t exactly normal.
There will be no grandstands or fans when the PGA Tour resumes its season with the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club this week. The coronavirus pandemic has forced the tour to close its doors to the general public.
And the country is in the midst of a movement for social and racial equality. The killing of George Floyd, a black man who died in police custody last month, remains at the forefront of conversations and protests coast to coast.
All of it has made for an unprecedented time for golf to return. But McIlroy and the rest of golf’s stars are eager to return and bring live sports back to a general public that has been craving it for months.
“It’ll be a little eerie that you’re not getting claps and you’re not getting feedback from good shots and stuff like that,” said McIlroy, who will be making his Colonial debut. “At the same time, it’s what we have to do, right? It’s what we’re going to have to live with for the foreseeable future, and if that’s what I have to adapt to to be able to get out here and play on tour and get back to work essentially, then I’m happy to do that.”
As far as Floyd and raising awareness on racial injustices, McIlroy is pleased to see the PGA Tour planning to observe a moment of silence at 8:46 a.m. every day this week. A police officer knelt on Floyd’s neck for 8 minutes, 46 seconds before he died.
McIlroy believes people need to become more tolerant and less ignorant. One of his idols growing up was Tiger Woods.
“Tiger doesn’t look the same as me, has had a very different upbringing to the one that I have had, but he was my hero growing up,” McIlroy said. “It didn’t matter what color his skin was, what his beliefs were. Tiger was my hero, and he’s been a lot of kids’ heroes over the years that have grown up playing golf.
“We’ve been very lucky to have him in our game.”
That sentiment has been shared throughout the PGA Tour community.
Brooks Koepka, the No. 3-ranked player in the world, said it was awesome to see the PGA Tour step up in using its platform to speak out on the issues.
“Being one of the first sports back, it’s important to set the tone going forward for other sports, for just people in general,” Koepka said. “8:46, I think it’s going to be special. There needs to be change, and I want to be part of the solution.”
PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan said golf is committed to making strides in diversity and inclusion. Honoring Floyd is an extension of that and something he views as progress.
“We’re doing a lot as a business,” Monahan said. “I am not claiming that we’re perfect. We’re on a journey. But it’s an organizational commitment.”
Monahan went on to address the return to golf plans amid the pandemic. Every player and caddie tested negative for this week’s event at Colonial, Monahan said.
Ensuring a safe environment for the players and caddies ranked as the top priority. Even though the state of Texas has said it would allow fans for outdoor sporting venues, the PGA Tour — much like Texas Motor Speedway when it hosted the IndyCar opener on Saturday — never revisited the idea of opening it up to fans.
When the tour announced its updated schedule on April 16, it was firm that no spectators would attend its first four events based on feedback it received from government officials and medical advisors.
“This is about a sustained return,” Monahan said. “Yes, we could have 10 days to two weeks ago responded and added fans to the venue. We love the fans here in Fort Worth; they’ve been unbelievable. It’s hard for us not to have them.
“But I think they know how important it is for us, the PGA Tour, to be here with this quality of field in Fort Worth sharing PGA Tour golf with the world. We’ll be back here with all of our fans hopefully next year.”
This story was originally published June 10, 2020 at 5:56 PM.
