Next Week's Memorial Tournament To Take Place Without Fans
Fans were set to return on-site next week for the first time since March
Fans were set to return on-site next week for the first time since March
Next Week's Memorial Tournament To Take Place Without Fans
The PGA Tour and The Memorial Tournament have been forced to backtrack on its plans for fans to return next week "due to the rapidly changing dynamics of the Covid-19 pandemic."
There were set to be 20% of the usual capacity of fans on-site at Muirfield Village but due to the increasing number of Covid-19 cases in Ohio it will be played without fans.
Ohio reported 1,301 new cases on Thursday, 1,091 on Friday, 926 on Saturday and 968 on Sunday.
All four of the PGA Tour's most recent tournaments have gone ahead without crowds and it still remains to be seen when fans will be allowed to return.
Both the USPGA Championship and the US Open will not allow crowds, and it is becoming increasingly likely that the Ryder Cup could be postponed due to fans not being allowed on-site.
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This week's event, the Workday Charity Open, takes place at Muirfield Village as a replacement for the John Deere Classic, which was cancelled due to the revenues lost by no ticket sales.
Muirfield Village will host back-to-back events with The Memorial Tournament taking place next week.
It is always one of the best regular PGA Tour events of the year with its status as an Invitational, and it is expected that Tiger Woods might make his first start since February there.
“We applaud the leadership, diligence and partnership it took from Jack Nicklaus, Dan Sullivan, the entire Memorial Tournament staff and State, County and City leadership to build a solid plan that would allow for limited fan attendance at next week’s event,” said PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan.
“But given the broader challenges communities are facing due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, we need to stay focused on the No. 1 priority for our Return to Golf — the health and safety of all involved.
"While this was a difficult decision, it was one made collectively, and we are appreciative of the process undertaken to this point that will allow us to welcome on-site fans when the time is right.
"In the meantime, we have no doubt that the Memorial Tournament will once again be an incredible championship and deliver the best competitive environment for our players and utmost entertainment to our fans around the world.”
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Elliott Heath is our News Editor and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He covered the 2022 and 2025 Masters from Augusta National and was there by the 18th green to watch Rory McIlroy complete the career grand slam. He has also covered five Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews.