The Memorial Tournament has decided to go spectatorless next week at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio.
The tournament hosted by golf legend Jack Nicklaus was the first of the PGA Tour events on the reconfigured calendar to allow for a minimum number of spectators. The plan was to allow up to 8,000 fans per day with social distancing measures in place, with no stands or grandstands.
PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan released a statement on the change.
“Given the broader challenges facing communities due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, we must stay focused on priority # 1 for our Return to Golf: the health and safety of everyone involved,” he said. This was a difficult decision, it was made collectively, and we appreciate the process carried out to this point that will allow us to welcome fans on-site when the time is right.
“In the meantime, we have no doubt that the Memorial Tournament will once again be an amazing championship and offer the best competitive environment for our players and maximum entertainment for our fans around the world.”
In an email to sponsors, the tournament said: “With the support of Nationwide and the local government, officials cancel plans to be among the top professional sports leagues with fan attendance; the decision was made with great caution, as the focus increases on the player experience and television presentation. ”
The PGA Tour is playing another event, the Workday Charity Open, this week at Muirfield Village, which Nicklaus designed in the early 1970s. The Memorial, a 120-player invitation, will follow next week. Nicklaus founded the event in 1976.
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