To be clear on my previous post regarding the rescheduling of the PGA Tour season(s), they are proposals, not fact, based on the health and safety of us all with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Today's announcement provides a template for the game to return to all tours under the PGA Tour umbrella, which has involved a ton of work by Jay Monahan and his staff.
However consider the implications.
*Covid19 continues to spread at various levels throughout the world and there will be no mass vaccine available for at least a year.
*countries like USA, Canada, Italy, Japan and Spain are under virtual lock down, with the COVID curve continuing to climb in them all.
*a second wave is expected as countries strive to keep their populations isolated from each other.
*economies have crashed or are in dire straits with millions out of work and all but essential business's shut down.
*PGA Tour staff, players, caddies,families,sponsors, television crews and others will have to travel, in many cases from other countries, stay in hotels, eat in restaurants, all in the face of social distancing which is the key to putting a halt to the pandemic. This amounts to around 1500 people by my count.
*one positive test for the virus will shut down this whole proposal
*MLB, NHL,NBA and every other professional league around the globe which are far more popular than golf, are shut down at enormous financial loss to all but the players, and they will be looking at this and saying..WTF!!
*and what about you and I, locked at home from loved ones in isolation until we are all safe. How will our leaders manage to keep us all from saying if it's ok for the PGA Tour it must be ok for us.
* Neither most of you nor I are health officials dealing with this awful virus, but it seems obvious to us all that until COVID19 has been brought to a safe clean end around the world, life will not be the same as before for all of us. Remember, this all started with just one case in China, didn't it.
Bryan Angus.
“The health and safety of all associated with the PGA TOUR and our global community continues to be our No. 1 priority, and our hope is to play a role – responsibly – in the world’s return to enjoying the things we love,” said PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan. “Today’s announcement is another positive step for our fans and players as we look toward the future, but as we’ve stressed on several occasions, we will resume competition only when – working closely with our tournaments, partners and communities – it is considered safe to do so under the guidance of the leading public health authorities.”
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