TOURNAMENTS As the most lucrative event on the annual PGA Tour, no expense is spared to ensure the playing surfaces at TPC Sawgrass are nothing short of perfect for The Players Championship
TPC
perfection The Players Championship in early March became golf’s first high profile victim of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the PGA Tour cancelling the tournament after the opening round. For the four sports turf managers who were there as part of the ASTMA and John Deere sponsored TPC Volunteer Program, it was an experience they won’t likely forget.
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t happened fast – real fast. Midway through the opening round of The Players Championship (TPC) at TPC Sawgrass in Florida, PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan called a press conference in response to the growing situation with the COVID-19 pandemic. The previous evening, while Monahan was attending the pre-tournament reception, the NBA made global headlines when it announced it would be pausing its 2019/2020 season after Utah Jazz centre Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19. While other US sporting competitions followed in the NBA’s footsteps, at that midday press conference 22
on Thursday Monahan reaffirmed the Tour’s commitment to keep playing the event, albeit that fans would not be allowed to spectate for the remaining three rounds. By 9.30 that evening, however, the tournament was off. At his Friday morning press conference, Monghan talked about the rapidly changing nature of events and the decision to cancel: “We’re obviously incredibly disappointed to suspend the PGA Tour’s season for our players and our fans. I’ve said all along, the health and safety of everyone associated with this
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organisation is our number one priority. We tried to be as thoughtful and measured as possible during this dynamic and challenging time. We took all the steps within our control and felt comfortable proceeding. “I’m proud of the team. And I’m a fighter. I wanted to fight for our players and our fans and for this Tour to show how golf can unify and inspire. But as the situation continued to escalate and there seemed to be more unknowns, it became a matter of when, and not if, we would need to call it a day.” The Players Championship is steeped in history and has been a marquee fixture on the PGA Tour since the mid-1970s when Jack