PGA Tour Golfers to Face 'Strict' Oversight for COVID-19 Protocols at The Open

Golfers competing in next month's 2021 Open Championship at Royal St. George's Golf Club in Sandwich, England, will be subject to much stricter COVID-19 protocols than they have experienced in the United States recently.

R&A CEO Martin Slumbers briefed players on the protocols in a "Player Information Update'' that was obtained by ESPN's Bob Harig.

Per Harig, golfers traveling to England for the tournament will be required to get tested for COVID-19 regardless of their vaccination status, cannot visit restaurants, pubs or grocery stores and cannot mingle with other players aside from on the course.

As part of the update, Slumbers wrote: "Please be aware that the UK has strict contact tracing laws and our ability to stage the Championship relies on persons not creating contacts other than their own player support team group."

Since players are not allowed to stay with anyone other than those who are part of their support group, including caddies, some of them are being forced to change accommodations they had already made.

Per Harig, those players can choose from a list of R&A-approved hotels or book their own private residence provided only they and up to four others from their support group stay there.

An unnamed player planning to compete in the Open Championship told Golfweek.com (h/t Harig):

"I'm going to go because it's the British Open. But I certainly thought about not going. I just can't believe with the numerous examples of successfully run, safely held tournaments and majors here that they can't figure out a better situation."

"If someone on your plane tests positive on the way to the British and is sitting anywhere close to you, you're out, no questions asked, no matter if you're vaccinated. It's aggravating that they deem the tournament safe enough for 32,000 fans a day to attend but won't let a player's wife or children travel and watch the tournament, nor will they even let players visit a restaurant without threat of disqualification."

To the golfer's point, any player who is deemed to have come into contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19 can be disqualified from the tournament without a positive test.

Despite the strict guidelines, tournament organizers are planning to have 32,000 fans in attendance for each round, which will likely be the largest attendance of any golf tournament since the start of the pandemic, per Harig.

The Open Championship was not held last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, making it the only major tournament to be canceled. It marked the first time the Open Championship was canceled since 1945, when it wasn't held because of World War II.