July 1, 2021 | BY AAGD STAFF
In just two weeks, golf’s oldest major The Open at Royal St. George’s in Sandwich, England will commence.
Although COVID-19 restrictions are being relaxed here in the United States, PGA Tour players who travel to The Open in England next month will face a different situation, according to a “Player Information Update” sent this week and obtained by ESPN.
More strict procedures and face protocols will greet players than they have seen in weeks, as The Open will “operate under strict government oversight from the UK government,” according to Martin Slumbers, CEO of the R&A, which runs The Open.
July 15 is the start date for The Open at Royal St. George’s in Sandwich, England, and among the restrictions:
- Players will not be allowed to share accommodations and will be required to undergo COVID-19 testing, regardless of vaccination status.
- They will not be allowed to visit restaurants, pubs or grocery stores — a privilege that has been allowed at PGA Tour events for months in the United States.
But, even with these restrictions in place, 32,000 spectators are being permitted into the venue daily which is located in the southeastern part of the country.
Players also face other dilemma, such as housing that was previously secured. Lots of the are finding out their arrangements are not suitable for The Open. According to the information update, players must select their accommodations from a predetermined list of hotels provided by the R&A, or they can book their own private residence, but only for use by the player and team and with a maximum of four people.
CONTACT TRACING LAWS
“Please be aware that the UK has strict contact tracing laws and our ability to stage the Championship relies on persons not creating contacts other than their own player support team group,” the update said.
Each player is permitted to bring one caddie plus two support team members. The latter can be a coach, manager, medical support or translator. Players can also choose to allow one family member to attend, but that person must already be in the U.K., have completed any quarantine requirements and must stay in the same accommodation as the player.
Also among the restrictions, travelers arriving into England from the United States must be tested prior to their USA departure and, must quarantine for 10 days upon arrival in England. If there is any good news about this, it is the fact that the quarantine is waived after five days for players who have a negative COVID-19 test, and the four people, including the player, are exempt from the quarantine criteria.
“All accredited players, caddies and player support team members including family members will be subject to strict ‘inner bubble’ restrictions for the duration of their time at the Championship and must not mix with members of the general public in restaurants, supermarkets or other public areas,” the update said.
“No one outside the accommodation buddy group is permitted to visit others in self-catering/private accommodation. This would be seen as a breach of the COVID-19 protocols and could lead to withdrawal from the Championship,” stated the update.
If players are deemed to have been in contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, they are subject to removal from the tournament. Unlike the PGA Tour, which requires daily testing of a person who is deemed to be a contact, the R&A can disqualify such a player without a positive test.
One player agent, who asked not to be identified, told ESPN: “No pubs, no restaurants, no grocery stores and no walking to the course. Crazy! Also, a player cannot go to another’s houses for dinner. We will essentially eat all our meals at the course or have groceries delivered.”
An anonymous player told Golfweek.com: “I’m going to go because it’s the British Open. But I certainly thought about not going. I just can’t believe with the numerous examples of successfully run, safely held tournaments and majors here that they can’t figure out a better situation.
“If someone on your plane tests positive on the way to the British and is sitting anywhere close to you, you’re out, no questions asked, no matter if you’re vaccinated. It’s aggravating that they deem the tournament safe enough for 32,000 fans a day to attend but won’t let a player’s wife or children travel and watch the tournament, nor will they even let players visit a restaurant without threat of disqualification.”
Since last July the European Tour has been operating under similar restrictions while the PGA Tour has gradually lifted many of its protocols throughout the pandemic. Case being, in April, the Tour told its membership that players would no longer need to undergo weekly COVID-19 testing if they were fully vaccinated. Contact protocols would also be waived for such players.
Recently extending its mask and distancing restrictions until July 19, out of fear spread of the Delta variant of COVID-19 that was first detected in India.
Pete Cowen, a U.K.-based instructor who works with several players, including Rory McIlroy, had planned to share a large RV with several caddies near the driving range, he told the Telegraph newspaper in the U.K. Those plans are now off because of the restrictions.
“It wasn’t cheap, but it seemed the wisest option in the current climate,” Cowen said. “But we’ve just found out that we are not allowed to stay together because it breaks the government protocols.”
Cowen later added: “There are going to be 32,000 fans allowed in every day and they’re saying we can’t stay in anything other than the dedicated hotels — most of which are already sold out — because we’d be mixing with the public. And we can’t stay together, like we have on the PGA Tour for the last year.
“We have all been vaccinated and will have been tested before we are allowed in. This ‘bubble’ we have created between ourselves has produced no problems at all.
“It makes no sense at all when there will be 60,000 at Wembley [for soccer], 140,000 at Silverstone [racetrack] and all those at Wimbledon on the weekend before — sitting next to each other. I suppose I should be grateful I am going at all, as initially the wording of the [regulations] made me believe instructors would be banned.”
The R&A said in its update that the restrictions are required by the U.K. government.
