Golf championships, including Valspar, to carry on without spectators
(Photo by John McCoy/Getty Images)
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. - The Players Championship will not have spectators for the final three days at the TPC Sawgrass.
PGA Tour events will not have spectators for the time being due to the spread of coronavirus, officials announced Thursday.
Commissionner Jay Monahan said the policy is expected to be in place for the next several weeks, starting with The Players and extending to next week at the Valspar Championship in the Tampa Bay area. The policy will continue through the Valero Texas Open, Monahan said.
After speaking with President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Monahan said they were taking precautionary measures with essential personnel only at upcoming events.
The only times a PGA Tour event has kept fans off the course were safety issues related to weather.
Even as the NBA suspended its season and the NCAA said its basketball tournaments would not have fans, The Players began Thursday with fans. The only stipulation Thursday was they not ask for autographs.
Still to be determined was who would be allowed in. Vendors, broadcasters, media, player support groups and essential volunteers would be given instructions, Monahan said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.