The PGA Tour is scheduled to return next month in Texas, but it seems all but impossible that any internationally-based players will partake in any events … unless they commit to moving to the United States.
The reason? Quarantine protocols for international travel.
The UK-based Lee Westwood brought it up this week in an interview with the Golf Channel saying it’s “just not worth it” to play in any PGA Tour events right now.
Westwood says he is entered in the Charles Schwab Challenge and the RBC Heritage, the first two events of the PGA Tour season.
But current international travel protocols would require Westwood to quarantine for 14 days after traveling to the United States, and then quarantine again for 14 days upon returning to Europe.
So to play in Texas, he’d need to fly out two weeks early, sit around by himself, play the two tournaments over two weeks, then fly back and sit around again for two weeks.
“Right now, I won’t be playing them,” Westwood said. “Not with having to leave here two weeks before, quarantine, then play the two tournaments, then come back here and quarantine again. It’s six weeks for two tournaments, and to me, that’s just not worth it.
“And it’s not worth taking the risk if everybody thinks that those kind of precautions have got to be in place. I don’t feel like golf’s a priority if it’s that severe.”
Westwood is the one bringing it up, but his point is sound — unless a European golfer plans on relocating to the United States, it doesn’t make much sense for him to fly back and forth. He needs to pick a place and commit to it. Those who usually play European Tour events, or those who have family abroad … the quarantine procedures just make the juice not worth the squeeze.
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