It’s media day at the LPGA Marathon Classic, which means that the local press have gathered at the tournament site for interviews and information about procedures for next month’s event (and usually a round of golf).
But with the PGA Tour announcing on Monday that the Memorial Tournament will not have fans or a pro-am due to the “rapidly changing dynamics of the COVID-19 pandemic,” one has to question whether the LPGA will have an event at Highland Meadows at all this year.
Longtime tournament director Judd Silverman has made it clear that having fans at the event as well as pro-ams is vital for the event’s success. There are typically two pro-ams on Monday at Highland Meadows followed by two off-site pro-ams on Tuesday and then the normal Wednesday pro-am back at the tournament course
This year Silverman hopes to bring in $600,000 for 25 northwest Ohio children’s charities.
As of now, there’s no official word on how the PGA Tour’s decision will impact the LPGA. The LPGA is slated to restart its season July 31 at the Inverness Club in Toledo – without fans – with the new LPGA Drive On Championship and then continue the next week down the road at Highland Meadows, Aug. 6-9, with spectators. The Marathon typically averages between 2,500 and 5,000 fans a day. The Memorial, slated for July 16-19, had planned to cap the gallery at 8,000.
“The Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide and the PGA TOUR have made the right decision in not allowing spectators to attend this year,” said Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine in a PGA Tour release. “I know it was a difficult decision to make, but the organizers of the Memorial Tournament have put the health and safety of players and fans first.”
The LPGA plans to update players on the schedule and upcoming protocols in a July 8 phone call. Of particular interest is whether or not the Aberdeen Investment Standards Ladies Scottish Open and AIG Women’s British Open in Troon, Scotland, will be played next month.
If both events are canceled due to travel restrictions, it seems possible that the Marathon could be pushed back to an even later date (Aug. 20-23) ahead of the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship. But even then it might be too early to open the doors to spectators.
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