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The PGA Tour is set to return during the week of June 8-14 at the Charles Schwab Challenge with the first four events of the new schedule set to be played with no fans.
According to GOLF, the Tour has stated that it is “exploring how to best incorporate social distancing guidelines into the field of play,” but specifics regarding said social distancing and health safety are unknown at this time.
While many golf courses around North America are closed at the moment, those that have remained open have implemented new rules to keep golfers safe such as keeping the flagstick in at all times and removing all bunker rakes.
The PGA Tour could elect to enforce very similar rules when it gets back to action, there have even been rumors of players carrying their own clubs to minimize contact with their caddies. Players could still have caddies, but in order to practice social distancing, they would need to be six-feet apart.
It’s a rather difficult scenario to think about and three-time PGA Tour winner Scott Stallings doesn’t think every Tour player will be on board with those types of changes.
“I just don’t think there’s any way guys are going to do that,” Stallings told GOLF. “Guys are not going to play for their livelihood with no rakes in the bunker and no caddies. That’s just not going to happen.
“I’m fully confident that there are going to be guys who choose not to play.”
Stallings also pointed out the fact that players and caddies don’t just get out of the car and walk to the first tee. There are interactions in the clubhouse, locker room, traveling to the actual event, and plenty of other tight-grouped situations involved with a tournament.
Last week PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan explained that all players, caddies, and essential personnel will need to be tested before the Tour does get back underway.
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