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The Philippine Golf Tour resumes after a long eight-month hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic with a two-tournament “bubble” for the men’s and women’s circuits from November 17 to 20 and December 8 to 11 in Riviera’s Couples and Langer Courses, respectively, in Silang, Cavite. The restart is intended not only to provide opportunities again for professionals, but also to underline that golf can live up to its reputation as one of the safest sports allowed to restart in new normal times. “The management of Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. has studied the possibility of scheduling two tournaments to end the year and presented our Covid-19 protocols and new guidelines to the Board of Games and Entertainment and the Inter-Institutional Working Group (IATF) for their approval. “Said PGTI general manager, Colo Ventosa. In reality, two events took place before the pandemic: the ICTSI Pradera Classic, a secondary tournament that culminated in the third season of PGT Asia last January, and The Country Club Invitational, the flagship event of each PGT season, in Last March. But very little about the latest tournament would be like the first round of the circuit restart, as the pros will revert to a new set of safety rules and protocols, including restricting player movements within the bubble. A note was sent to all players over the weekend, outlining and detailing the various procedures that will be implemented during the two-tournament run. This includes mandatory RT-PCR swab testing and Standard Q Covid-19 Ag (Antigen) test with PGTI to cover only one test per tournament. A daily temperature control will be carried out. Players will also need to complete a health questionnaire that would include the results of RT PCR and Standard Q Covid-19 Ag (Antigen), which will be sent to the GAB. Registration is ongoing with the PGTI and around 78 male and female players are expected to participate. The deadline for the list is November 10. Health and safety guidelines, including during the tournament itself, are detailed in PGTI’s standards and procedures at www.pgt.ph. The PGTI also chose the Bayleaf Hotel in Cavite as their official hotel during the bubble, although players can use personal cars, but strictly only in the hotel. Shuttle buses will be provided to and from the hotel to the golf course. Masks and face shields must also be worn inside the bus. Once the player leaves the bubble, they will not be allowed to re-enter. A player with a positive result or with symptoms of Covid-19 will be immediately placed in the isolation room of the hotel or golf course. Contact tracing will be done and all necessary disinfection steps will be performed. “The fight against this virus is not over, so we must not lower our guard,” Ventosa said, emphasizing that the GAB / IATF can cancel tournaments once safety and health protocols are violated. The PGTI discontinued its 72-hole Qualifying School for local and foreign players in mid-March following the outbreak of the global health crisis, forcing professionals off the fairways for a considerable period of time. Several events lined up for the PGT, PGA Asia and Ladies PGT were scrapped, hampering a well-designed plan and program for the start of the new decade for PGTI following a 10-year milestone of the main circuit in the different fields. championship of the country.
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