The PGA Tour announced Friday morning that it has no plans to reschedule THE PLAYERS Championship after it's cancelation due to coronavirus concerns.
“I’m a fighter, I wanna fight for the fans and this Tour... but ultimately it became a matter of ‘when’ and not ‘if’," said PGA Commissioner Jay Monahan.
Monahan says he’s not aware of any player or staff has been tested for the coronavirus but that 'local health officials' have addressed golfers who had uncertainty and concerns regarding their families and future travel plans.
By rule, the PGA will pay 50% of the purse will be divided evenly among the field. Right now, there's not a plan in place yet to compensate golfers over the next three weeks.
On Thursday, the PGA Tour announced it has canceled all tour events in the coming weeks, through the Valero Texas Open.
"We have pledged from the start to be responsible, thoughtful and transparent with our decision process," the PGA Tour said in a statement. "We did everything possible to create a safe environment for our players in order to continue the event throughout the weekend, and we were endeavoring to give our fans a much-needed respite from the current climate. But at this point – and as the situation continues to rapidly change – the right thing to do for our players and our fans is to pause."
The decision was reportedly made after consulting with both President Trump and Governor Ron DeSantis. The tour has also been in constant contact with Augusta and says that they will keep the public updated regarding The Masters.
"We’ve weighed all the options, and I appreciate the input and collaboration across the TOUR, our industry, our partners and our members that got us to this point," says Monahan. "We’ll continue with that collaboration, and I want to thank our fans for supporting the PGA TOUR."
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