The return of the PGA Tour and live professional golf that matters is inching closer and closer, and now the Tour has a comprehensive plan to keep golfers and everyone else safe when play resumes.
On Tuesday, the Tour sent its 37-page Health and Safety Plan to players and other interested parties, which was obtained by multiple outlets, including Golf Channel and Golf Digest.
According to reports, when play resumes at the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial on June 11, all people involved in the event will be tested and monitored for the coronavirus in various different ways.
Players and caddies face the strictest form of monitoring. All of them will be tested for COVID-19 before the travel to a tournament, and again once they arrive at the host city. But it doesn’t end there. Players and caddies will additionally have their temperatures checked and answer virus-related questionnaires throughout the event.
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Golf Digest reports that other groups of people, including “PGA Tour staff (including rules and scoring officials); media officials; security and player relations, select ShotLink staff; select tournament staff, player and caddie services; and starters, clubhouse staff and independent trainers” will also undergo similar testing procedures.
The Tour will charter flights to tournaments for up to 170 players and caddies (which will cost $600 per seat for PGA Tour and PGA Tour champions pros and $300 for Korn Ferry Tour pros), and they will stay in a designated hotel in order to maintain a controlled environment, though there are exceptions.
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In all, 1100 people are expected to be on the grounds for spectator-less tournaments when the season resumes. Only 400 of those will be tested, but all 1100 will be required to answer questionnaires and have their temperatures screened.
The number of media members allowed on the grounds will be limited, with new social-distancing restrictions for the media center and interviews being conducted outdoors. In addition, comprehensive sanitation practices will be used to keep the facilities virus-free.
Finally, if a player does test positive for COVID-19, they will be prohibited from continuing the tournament and required to isolate for 10 days.
The PGA Tour is expected to publicly announce the new safety procedures this week.
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