Industry Insider
Actual & Potential COVID-19 Effects on Rounds Played Actual monthly changes vs. 2019 Actual YTD changes (Jan-Jun) vs. 2019 Potential year-end scenario if Jul-Dec flat vs. 2019
20% 10% EVEN
+19.1%
+11.1%
vs. Jan ’19
+11%
vs. Feb ’19
+15% YTD
+11.1%
+6.2%
+4%
vs. Jun ’19
vs. May’19
YTD
YTD
-10% -20%
-2% -8.5%
vs. Mar ’19
-8% -16%
YTD
-.8%
Projected
YTD
YTD
-30% -40%
-42.2% vs. Apr ’19
Source: National Golf Foundation
up being the best month — the most rounds we’ve ever done in a month in history. “We’ve had five of our best days all-time in the last two weeks. It’ll be really nice to see where we end up at the end of the year.”
A SEASON SET ASIDE While the average Janes and Joes are free to play to their hearts’ content, the professionals had their careers put on hold due to COVID-19, then had to adapt to a fan-free tournament experience. As the coronavirus gripped the nation in mid-March, the PGA Tour, among others, began cancelling or postponing tournaments. The Players Championship, at famed “fifth Major” at the TPC at Sawgrass, was the first to fall, with six others following suit in subsequent weeks. Even such a venerable institution as The
Masters wasn’t immune, and opted to postpone its pimento sandwiches and patrons until a potentially post-COVID-19 world November 12-15, an idea that seems in serious jeopardy based on current trends. When the PGA Tour did return with the Charles Schwab Challenge in early June (sans fans), it was met with an almost immediate spate of positive tests among caddies and players, including Brooks Koepka’s bagman, Ricky Elliott, and Webb Simpson, among others. Even Jack Nicklaus announced he’d tested positive for COVID-19 in March, and thankfully recovered fully. After the initial cases, the Tour quickly tightened testing and new rules to protect people on-course. But PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan seemed resigned to the fact that positive cases are an eventuality as long as the show goes on. WWW.GOLFTIMEMAG.COM
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