This year’s Colonial is closed to the public, but some fans will see it in-person
The Charles Schwab Challenge is closed to the general public. At least access to the grounds of Colonial Country Club.
Even though the state of Texas is allowing outdoor venues to allow fans to attend, the PGA Tour wasn’t ready to go down that route with its first event back amid the coronavirus pandemic. There are simply too many unknowns as sports slowly return to action.
This is the longest layoff from the PGA Tour since World War II.
With that being said, avid golf fans have taken steps to ensure they’ll be able to watch at least some of the tournament without having to reach for the remote. A couple homeowners have built makeshift grandstands as viewing areas by the No. 3 green and No. 15 green. And a few apartment owners in a complex off Hulen Street have views of No. 14 and No. 18 tee.
For fans without access to those properties who are willing to brave the heat that is expected to be in the mid-90s, Fort Worth police officers said the fence line along Colonial Parkway and Rogers Street is technically public property.
There’s a few viewing gaps of the par-3 fourth and No. 5 tee between the bushes. Officers working the area Tuesday said one fan watched through the fence as a few golfers played practice rounds.
If fans don’t cause a disturbance during tournament rounds, officers said, they will be allowed to watch there if they desire.
The only other public viewing areas are along the Trinity River. There is a break in the trees on the par-3 eighth, but sightlines would be severely limited.
At the end of the day, unless a fan desperately wants to catch a glimpse of Jordan Spieth or Rory McIlroy walking the course, the best view will be on some type of screen. Golf Channel is broadcasting the first and second rounds Thursday and Friday with CBS airing the final rounds Saturday and Sunday.
Still, the idea of no fans will make for a unique experience.
“It will be odd, especially given I’m paired with Rickie [Fowler] and Justin [Thomas] and we’re used to being paired where we get a lot of people and you can feed off the crowds and all that,” Spieth said. “We love having the support. When you get to see all — especially in this DFW area for me, you see so many kids show up wearing kind of the same hat I wear. It’s really fun. It’s a really fun week. In that sense it’s a bit of a shame, but I’m really happy to be back playing golf.”
Veteran Ryan Palmer shared a similar mindset as Spieth. As a Colleyville resident, Colonial member and Texas A&M product, this is as close to home-field advantage as Palmer can get on the PGA Tour.
Palmer joked that he may have to find his inner Happy Gilmore and grab the camera to offset the quietness.
“Ask the fans if they loved it and want some more, something like that,” Palmer said, smiling. “I don’t know, you may see guys having a little more fun with it. I might just see how many guys wave and kind of catch themselves after doing something. It’ll take some getting used to, but I know everybody is ready to play golf. They’re ready to get in the grind. I think you’re going to see some great golf.”
For Dustin Johnson, it will be an odd scene with no fans. He’s one of the bigger draws on tour known for his length off the tee. His pairing, alongside 2018 Colonial champion Justin Rose and the No. 13-ranked player in the world Bryson DeChambeau, surely would’ve been one of the must-see groups if fans could attend this year’s tournament.
“I think it’s going to remind me a lot like junior golf except without the TV cameras following behind you,” Johnson said. “It’s just going to have to be something we adjust to. It’s going to be different. There’s not going to be as much energy, especially out there on a Sunday if you’re around the lead coming down the stretch.”
