Right now, the PGA Tour has announced it is to get back in business for the Colonial Tournament in Texas, aka the Charles Schwab Challenge, ...
Right now, the PGA Tour has announced it is to get back in business for the Colonial Tournament in Texas, aka the Charles Schwab Challenge, on June 11th.
Will it happen? I cannot see it having a snowballs chance in hell of happening for a number of reasons.
Right now there is a 14 day quarantine for people from a host of states entering Texas. This is not even taking into account possible inbound international travel restrictions from Corona affected hotspots when airlines open up again. How in the world would players travel to Texas and hang around for a fortnight to play a tournament?
Texas currently has 11,671 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and at least 226 deaths. Texas is the second most populated state but the mortality rate is relatively low. Though most are agreed that the number of unreported Corona cases and deaths in Texas is much higher, the wisdom and indeed the optics of bringing players, officials, staff, not to mention crowds (if they are allowed) from all over the USA and Internationally into Texas in June is highly questionable.
Fort Worth itself until today has just 335 confirmed Corona virus cases and 12 deaths. For a population of 6.3 million that is extremely low and suggests that the virus is nowhere near peaking.
Ireland where I am, is arguably similar in population to Fort Worth, we have approx 5 million, and is similarly rural. As of now we have 365 Corona virus deaths and still rising. And we are in STRICT lockdown. So in theory Fort Worth is 3 weeks to a month behind Ireland on the growth of the virus. Again it has peaked here yet.
Some are of the opinion that Corona virus attacks just the elderly and as long as they are kept away, we can all start getting on with life as normal. But 44 students at the University of Texas at Austin tested positive for COVID-19 after going on a spring break trip to Mexico. That was 44 kids out of 70 and it was a highly embarrassing wake up call for the state. Young people are the super carriers of the virus.
We've already called off the Irish Open which was scheduled at the end of May. The Open Championship in July has also been cancelled!
Ask yourself then would the PGA Tour really want to risk being the cause of a new wave of Corona Virus deaths? Or even having the finger pointed at it as being associated with it? The sport that flew in the face of restrictions? I cant see it happening.
The last major sporting event held DURING the Corona virus outbreak was the Cheltenham Racing Festival. To put it into perspective by the final day of that festival, the UK had 12 deaths and 335 reported cases. It went ahead and defended itself citing "public health advice from medical experts." And both horse racing and the UK Government have had nothing but blame since for not cancelling it.
It is totally understandable that the PGA Tour wants to get back to business but now is not the time for deciding when. Over 1,500 died from the virus in the USA yesterday. Right now it's difficult to even picture a situation where large crowds will be present in any sport until a vaccine is available.
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Will it happen? I cannot see it having a snowballs chance in hell of happening for a number of reasons.
Right now there is a 14 day quarantine for people from a host of states entering Texas. This is not even taking into account possible inbound international travel restrictions from Corona affected hotspots when airlines open up again. How in the world would players travel to Texas and hang around for a fortnight to play a tournament?
Texas currently has 11,671 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and at least 226 deaths. Texas is the second most populated state but the mortality rate is relatively low. Though most are agreed that the number of unreported Corona cases and deaths in Texas is much higher, the wisdom and indeed the optics of bringing players, officials, staff, not to mention crowds (if they are allowed) from all over the USA and Internationally into Texas in June is highly questionable.
Fort Worth itself until today has just 335 confirmed Corona virus cases and 12 deaths. For a population of 6.3 million that is extremely low and suggests that the virus is nowhere near peaking.
Ireland where I am, is arguably similar in population to Fort Worth, we have approx 5 million, and is similarly rural. As of now we have 365 Corona virus deaths and still rising. And we are in STRICT lockdown. So in theory Fort Worth is 3 weeks to a month behind Ireland on the growth of the virus. Again it has peaked here yet.
Some are of the opinion that Corona virus attacks just the elderly and as long as they are kept away, we can all start getting on with life as normal. But 44 students at the University of Texas at Austin tested positive for COVID-19 after going on a spring break trip to Mexico. That was 44 kids out of 70 and it was a highly embarrassing wake up call for the state. Young people are the super carriers of the virus.
We've already called off the Irish Open which was scheduled at the end of May. The Open Championship in July has also been cancelled!
Ask yourself then would the PGA Tour really want to risk being the cause of a new wave of Corona Virus deaths? Or even having the finger pointed at it as being associated with it? The sport that flew in the face of restrictions? I cant see it happening.
The last major sporting event held DURING the Corona virus outbreak was the Cheltenham Racing Festival. To put it into perspective by the final day of that festival, the UK had 12 deaths and 335 reported cases. It went ahead and defended itself citing "public health advice from medical experts." And both horse racing and the UK Government have had nothing but blame since for not cancelling it.
It is totally understandable that the PGA Tour wants to get back to business but now is not the time for deciding when. Over 1,500 died from the virus in the USA yesterday. Right now it's difficult to even picture a situation where large crowds will be present in any sport until a vaccine is available.
Join the GolfCentralDaily community on Facebook Here and on Twitter Here. Follow @golfcentraldoc
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