PGA Tour fans return – Syndication Server

Priority allotment of Players Championship tickets sells out within a day; next sale begins Feb. 16

It didn’t take long for the first batch of Players Championship tickets to sell out.

The Players put a priority allotment of tickets for the tournament March 11-14 at the TPC Sawgrass Players Stadium Course on sale Monday at 10 a.m.

By the end of the day Tuesday, they were gone.

The PGA Tour isn’t saying how many tickets were involved in the “presale” — only that an email was sent to those who had purchased tickets in the past two years, giving them the first crack.

Likewise, the Tour isn’t saying how many tickets are left that will go on public sale on Feb. 16. The tickets can only be purchased by visiting theplayers.com

The Players announced last month that it would allow “20 percent” capacity on the Stadium Course. The Players hasn’t released attendance figures since 2013 when a record of 45,281 fans was announced for the third round when Tiger Woods and Sergio Garcia played in the final group.

Based on that number, upward of 9,000 fans could be allowed on the grounds.

The good news is that parking passes won’t sell out, simply because all of the estimated 11,000 spaces in the public lot off Country Road 210 aren’t likely to be used. Fans still need to purchase parking passes in advance of the round or rounds they’re attending, and the price last year of $15 for the Tuesday and Wednesday practice rounds and $40 for the competitive rounds from Thursday through Sunday will stay the same.

Parking passes can be purchased only at theplayers.com, or at the preferred secondary market, ticketmaster.com.

Players will offer military tickets

The usual perks for the military are being shelved for this year’s Players, with no Patriots Outpost hospitality venue or Military Appreciation Day ceremony.

However, there will be a limited number of free tickets for retired and reserve military, National Guard members and one dependent (with valid identification) for the practice rounds March 9 and 10. The tickets will become available on Feb. 16.

Veterans with valid identification can receive up to two discounted tickets for those days.

Those wanting to obtain tickets should visit theplayers.com/tickets and locate the military dropdown icon to access the verification system. Upon verification, a voucher will be issued for Tuesday and/or Wednesday, which must be printed and redeemed at Will Call, located this year at 13000 Sawgrass Village Circle, Building 1, Ponte Vedra Beach. No vouchers will be redeemed at on-site entry gates.

The Players also has set its youth ticket policy. Youth Days, presented by Nemours Children’s Health System, will allow up to two youths, ages 15 and younger, to be admitted free with a ticketed adult for the Tuesday and Wednesday practice rounds.

Youth must be ticketed Thursday through Sunday, including for hospitality venues.

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Phoenix Open organizers press on with limited fans, tickets go on sale

Organizers of the event announced that a limited number of tickets are now on sale for the upcoming 86th edition of the tournament, which is scheduled to be held February 1-7.

The 16th hole at the Waste Management Phoenix Open is known as one of the rowdiest on the PGA Tour, as thousands of screaming fans cram in to see players on the famous par 3 at TPC Scottsdale.

This year’s crowds will pale in comparison — to previous years. But considering that most other Tour stops have not allowed any patrons, having any fans at all will be something of an accomplishment.

Organizers of the event announced that a limited number of tickets are now on sale for the upcoming 86th edition of the tournament, which is scheduled to be held Feb. 4-7.

General admission tickets for Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday are on sale for $100, while the price jumps by $25 for Friday and Saturday. Tickets are available through WMPhoenixOpen.com.

“We have been working closely with the PGA Tour and local health officials and are confident that we can safely host a limited number of fans for ‘The People’s Open’ in 2021,” Tournament Chairman Scott Jenkins said. “We don’t have an exact attendance figure at this time but we will be conservative in all of our decision-making to ensure the health and safety of all involved with the event and our community.

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“Given the fact our venue is a 192-acre, open-aired facility that will allow for safe social distancing measures, combined with COVID safety protocols including the wearing of masks on-site, we are confident we will conduct a safe and responsible event in February.”

Previously, daily tickets for the 16th hole and Clubhouse suites were only available as part of weeklong packages, but those tickets are now available online as well.

Fans have only made rare appearances on the PGA Tour since a return to golf last May, with just a few thousand patrons allowed in to see the Vivint Houston Open back in November.

Earlier this week, organizers of the Masters announced they were delaying the ticket process for Patron Series Badges, which traditionally starts on the first of the year.

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PGA Tour Commish: ‘Vaccination is a choice’

Jay Monahan says that “vaccination is a choice” and he won’t use his powers as Commissioner to require players get a vaccine when available.

ORLANDO – PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan is playing in the PNC Championship pro-am on Friday with his father, Joe, alongside Tiger Woods and son Charlie. It doesn’t get better than a day on the course with dear old dad.

But in between shots Monahan’s head must be spinning at the world of possibilities facing him and the PGA Tour in the year ahead. The Tour deserves to be commended for returning to action in June, completing the 2019-20 season and launching the “super-season” of 50 Tour events that will run through the Tour Championship in early September with hardly a hiccup amidst a global pandemic. One day earlier, Monahan fielded more than two dozen questions from reporters on a conference call, including topics such as when will more fans be allowed to attend events and how a Coronavirus vaccine could impact the Tour in 2021.

The West Coast Swing will feature limited fan access, especially at the California-based events. It’s still unclear what the Tour’s plan will be for the Florida Swing, which begins the first week of March. Monahan outlined how tournaments need a six-to-eight week window to plan for various scenarios and work with local authorities to make all decisions.

“I would be hopeful that when we return to Florida we’ll be able to continue on the path that we’ve been on where we’re playing pro-ams, we have our corporate hospitality program and our title sponsors are able to use a platform to drive their business and that we are safely reintroducing fans,” Monahan said. “I think the core of your question is how many people do we see. It really is hard to predict at this point what that will be. We’re very encouraged by the news around the vaccine and vaccine distribution and paying very close attention to what that can mean as we go into calendar year 2021.

PGA commissioner Jay Monahan speaks to media after the cancellation of the 2020 edition of The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass. Photo by Adam Hagy/USA TODAY Sports.

“I think you’ll just see a slow and steady increase in the number of fans that we have on-site, but again, we won’t be the sole arbiter in that. Any steps that we take we’ll be doing in concert with our partners in the local communities where we play.”

When asked to address the introduction of a vaccine and how that could impact the Tour’s plan, Monahan expressed enthusiasm that it could be a shot in the arm for the Tour, but took a cautious stance that it was premature to jump to any conclusions.

“As exciting as it is, I think there’s still an awful lot that we need to learn and we need to know, but I would say at this point we’re not going to be in a position where we’re mandating vaccination, and that’s the way that we’re looking at it at this point in time,” Monahan said. “We have a lot to learn. We’re going to be very thoughtful about it. But it’s early to say to you with any definition how that’s going to affect how we operate.”

When asked if in his role as Commissioner he would use his power to mandate a player to take a vaccine, Monahan said he would not.

“I think vaccination is a choice,” he said. “I think we would apply the same logic and the same amount of care to that subject as we have to every other subject, and that is to try and do our best to educate our members on vaccination and the pros and cons associated with it. But ultimately it’s an individual decision.”

Monahan also reported that despite the loss of several revenue streams – such as tickets and concessions, corporate hospitality – the PGA Tour raised $160 million for charity this year. That is down from $204 million a year ago, Monahan said.

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