Scheduling Updates
The novel coronavirus has disrupted the PGA tour as it has every other major North American sport. But as the pandemic begins to wane, preparations are being made for revamped schedules in all of the professional sports leagues including golf. We now know that the PGA is targeting June 11th as the resumption of the season when the Charles Schwab Challenge gets underway.
Golf fans should also note the following rescheduling dates of three of the four majors, with the lone exception of The Open, which has canceled the 2020 event at Royal St. George’s in Sandwich, England. They are tentatively scheduled as follows:
PGA Championship – New Date: August 6th through August 9th
TPC Harding Park
San Francisco, California
Original date: May 14-17
U.S. Open – New Date: September 17th through September 20th
Winged Foot Golf Club
Mamaroneck, New York
Original date: June 16-19
The Masters – New Date: November 12th through 15th
Augusta National Golf Club
Augusta, Georgia
Original date: April 9-12
Once action gets underway, fans will enjoy watching the best grippers and rippers in the game do their thing, and even those who like to bet a few bucks will be able to do so when the odds become available. Naturally, there is plenty of speculation regarding the game’s most heralded player, Tiger Woods. Back issues have plagued Woods over the past decade and he recently stated that the worst thing he did when he was younger was running 30 miles every week as part of his training regimen. The arduous pounding took a toll on his knees and back which has hindered him in his later years.
Nevertheless, a stunning Masters victory last year put Woods back in the spotlight, making the 2020 Masters the most widely anticipated tournament of the season. Fans desperately wanted to witness Tiger defend his championship and now that the event has been moved from April to November it appears, they will get their chance.
But where Tiger plays before the Masters is still very much in question and too many rounds could cause injury while too little will leave the golf legend rusty. It’s a delicate balancing act and one that only Tiger can decide. Woods began the 2020 campaign by shooting a combined 19 under par at the Zozo Championship in October where he captured the top spot and won a cool $1.75 million. He followed that up with a fourth-place finish at the Hero World Challenge in December and then tied for ninth at the Farmers Open in January. However, Tiger’s last outing was concerning after making the cut at the Genesis Invitational in February but followed with an 11 over par for the tournament and wound up in last place or 68th overall.
It was a startling reversal of fortune for Woods after playing well before entering the tournament and hoping to gobble up the greens at the Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades. Tiger had this to say about his effort, which would be the last before COVID-19 made its appearance on the international stage, “There’s a lot this week, but that’s one of the things I know going into any event I’ve hosted. There’s a lot. And unfortunately, I’ve hit a lot of shots, so that kind of adds to it, adds to the frustration, I’m sure.”
After months of inactivity, with the exception of practicing at The Medalist, in Hobe Sound, Florida, a short ride from his home in Jupiter Island, it will be interesting to see where Woods will play after this interrupted season restarts. Barring injuries, it’s fair to say he will play in the three majors but whether he makes an appearance at the Charles Schwab Challenge on June 11th is a different matter.
In order to accommodate what will more than likely be a packed field of eager professionals salivating at the prospect of returning to action, the event has added 24 additional spots for a total of 144 when the action gets underway. The hype for a mid-level event like the Charles Schwab Challenge will be tantamount to one of the four majors after months of a blank schedule, not only in golf but in sports in general. It would seem like a natural fit for Tiger to reengage but we will know for sure soon enough.
