ode The course would be playable (links courses are playable all year round - there has been a European Tour event at St. Andrews/Carnoustie/Kingsbarns in the autumn for quite a few years), but the amount of daylight available would potentially be an issue - the UK is far enough north for there to be a big difference in sunrise/sunset times between July and September/October. Royal St. Georges is probably the best course from that point of view (think that it's the most southerly course on the current Open rota), but it's asking a lot to get the whole field round in a maximum of 12 hours of decent daylight.
Interesting schedule-
Revised schedule. IF things work out, it might bring some of the bigger names to my area. But, we'll still have to watch them on TV, so, no big deal.
ode The easiest solution would be a faster pace of play... (We can dream, can't we? )
Two-tee starts are a bit messy at most Open courses, as the 10th tee is often at the other end of the course - St. Andrews, Royal Troon, Carnoustie come to mind. One creative solution (so something that the R&A wouldn't go for) would be to use two courses for the first two rounds, which would have been an option for an Open at Royal St. Georges, with Prince's right alongside. (Prince's is used for Open qualifying, and has previously hosted the Open - admittedly in 1932...)
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Just doesn't seem right not having The Open. It and The Masters are the ones I look forward to the most. The Open can be dependent (a little) on weather and venue, but it's golf we rarely get to see over here!
Going forward, beyond 2020, as futile as that may seem at the moment...
The Greenbrier is no more. This isn't the greatest news for the tour currently. Could it be an omen of things to come, with other sponsors having to rethink nonessential spending and considering parting ways with the tour???
https://www.yahoo.com/sports/greenbrier-pga-tour-host-canceling-131736109.html
PA-PLAYA
Messing with the schedule rarely works out for the second tier tournaments, imo.
They had the best date they could possibly have, given the theme of the tournament itself.
Maybe they spent all they had fixing up the place after the flood?
It's a shame but as you stated, may be a sign of things to come.
Stupid Fedex playoffs has screwed up the whole deal, imo.
I feel bad for the hospitals, charities etc... that get money from the tournament.
About that Ryder Cup....
Rory says that if the Ryder Cup can't be played with fans in attendance, it should be postponed another year. He makes a compelling argument. Would the Super Bowl be the same without NFL fans? It would definitely be different. But given our inability to look that far ahead into the future with what we're dealing with currently, I'm guessing the option of not allowing fans has to at least weigh on the minds of all pro sports commissioners at the moment.
Then again, if health authorities deem it unsafe for fans to be in attendance, how many pro athletes are gonna feel comfortable traveling to various cities (or countries in the case of the Ryder Cup)?
“That’s from a European, going to America, knowing that I’m going to get abuse," McIlroy said. "Obviously it would be better for Europeans to play without fans because we wouldn’t deal with some of the stuff that you have to put up with, but at the same time, it wouldn’t be a great spectacle. There would be no atmosphere. So if it came to whether they had to choose between not playing the Ryder Cup of playing it without fans, I would say just delay it a year.”
I'm no LeBron apologist for sure, but several weeks ago he got roasted for suggesting the same thing, maintaining that he wouldn't resume playing hoops in empty arenas.
https://www.golfchannel.com/news/rory-mcilroy-fan-less-ryder-cup-not-ryder-cup
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In more potential golf schedule news, it looks like the Tiger/Manning vs Phil/Brady match might actually happen. They're eying Memorial Day weekend at an undisclosed location, with no fans in attendance, and all proceeds (telethon?) supposedly going to a Covid-19 relief fund. If the event becomes officially confirmed, it will be aired live on TNT.
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PA-PLAYA I think both Rory and LeBron are right in that the atmosphere will be off and the events won't be as compelling. The TV viewership could be through the roof if we're all still at home then though. Even being home all the time I've watched less TV than normal. I don't want to watch much in the way of old matches and games. My son and I have been sitting down to some movies a couple of days a week at night for the past few weeks and that is about all of the viewing I'm doing right now. Edit to add - I have been watching new episodes of The Curse of Oak Island and Forged in Fire on the History channel. Unfortunately I think their seasons will go into reruns in May.
https://www.golfdigest.com/story/pga-tour-approves-health-and-safety-plan-for-resumption-of-2019-
Internal document outlines PGA Tour's comprehensive health and safety plan for resumption of 2019-'20 season
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida – PGA TOUR Champions has announced that its tournaments in 2020 and 2021 will combine to form one season, and the next Charles Schwab Cup champion will be crowned in November 2021 at the Charles Schwab Cup Championship.
Due to the circumstances related to the COVID-19 pandemic, eight PGA TOUR Champions tournaments have been canceled from the original 27-tournament schedule. A number of other events have been rescheduled to later in the calendar year and a decision on The Senior Open presented by Rolex will be forthcoming.
In an effort to uphold the competitive integrity of the Charles Schwab Cup, PGA TOUR Champions will combine the 2020 and 2021 seasons and form a singular 2020-21 season. In addition, other measures are being taken to offset some of the impact made by the cancellation of tournaments.
• In 2020, the field size of tournaments will increase from 78 to 81 players.
• In 2020, the three Charles Schwab Cup Playoffs events will be converted into 81-player fields.
• The Charles Schwab Cup Championship will be reduced from 72 to 54 holes.
“While we won’t have a Charles Schwab Cup champion in 2020, we feel that the combined schedule for 2020-21 is the best solution for everyone associated with PGA TOUR Champions,” said PGA TOUR Champions President Miller Brady. “The wonderful support from the tournaments, title sponsors, Charles Schwab and the Player Advisory Council has helped us address some of the schedule complications caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and as a result we have created solutions that best serve our members and our tournament communities.”
Players will retain their 2020 eligibility in 2021, except for the five players in the Q-School category, who will play their guaranteed events. Additionally, the 2020 PGA TOUR Champions Qualifying Tournament will not be conducted, and player awards will not be presented at the end of 2020.
Five events have been completed and 13 tournaments remain on the 2020 schedule, beginning with The Ally Challenge at Warwick Hills in Grand Blanc, Michigan (July 31 – August 2). PGA TOUR Champions events to be contested in 2021 as part of the combined 2020-21 schedule will be announced later this year.
PGA TOUR Champions will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation and follow the recommendations of local and state authorities in order to determine the most appropriate on-site access in each market. Decisions on fan attendance at all events will be dependent on available protocols that could be implemented to ensure the health and well-being for all involved.
I commend the Tour and the host club for being as creative as they can within the schedule they have to work around. Golf may be one of only a few sports that will provide some means of entertainment. With the potential for a MLB strike, the closing window of an NBA return, and the return of college football not being a sure thing... pro golf might be the only itch that gets scratched for a sports fan for a while.