PGA Championship Organizers Preparing to Hold Major Without Fans in August

With the 2020 PGA Championship currently scheduled to take place from Aug. 6-9, the PGA of America is preparing for the possibility the event will be played with no fans in attendance.  

Seth Waugh, PGA of America CEO, told SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio the organization is "fully prepared" to hold the tournament without fans if they don't receive clearance from local authorities and health experts because of the coronavirus pandemic.

"We believe that having it as a television event is worth doing regardless of whether there's fans there or not," Waugh said. "Obviously, that'll change the experience, but we think the world is starved for some entertainment, and particularly in sports.''

Waugh did note the current plan is to have fans at Harding Park, but the organization is making plans in the event that can't happen. 

Another potential issue for the PGA Championship is if sporting events will be allowed to take place in the state of California by August. 

Dr. Jeffrey Smith, a Santa Clara County executive officer, told the county Board of Supervisors last week that he didn't expect there will be "any sports games until at least Thanksgiving, and we'd be lucky to have them by Thanksgiving," according to Rong-Gong Lin II of the Los Angeles Times. 

California Gov. Gavin Newsom told reporters earlier this month he didn't anticipate NFL games would be played with fans in August or September. 

Waugh noted the way fans are situated at golf tournaments makes it easier to put around 1,000 people on the property "in a safe and responsible way." He also suggested the PGA Championship could be moved out of California if it is unable to be held in the state. 

The 2020 PGA Championship is set to be held in San Francisco for the first time in the event's 102-year history.