Within the PGA Tour’s testing "bubble" are players, caddies and essential personnel, like rules officialsGETTY IMAGES
The PGA Tour's focus has shifted to COVID-19 testing, the "heart of any plan to resume play," as it draws closer to a return to competition on June 11 at the Charles Schwab Challenge, according to Rex Hoggard of GOLFCHANNEL.com. Tour officials when unveiling their Health & Safety Plan "leaned into what they called a 'layered testing component,' which will begin with a daily health questionnaire via a medical portal that will begin a week before the player or caddie travels to a tournament." At-home tests will be "supervised by a physician via video call and the goal is to have results available within 48 hours." The Tour "plans to conduct another round of PCR nasal swab/saliva testing when players arrive at a tournament city and again following the third round if the player/caddie is planning on taking the chartered flight to the next Tour stop." Officials said that they "expect to administer in the neighborhood of 400 tests a week." Within the Tour’s "testing 'bubble' are players, caddies and essential personnel, like rules officials, but the vast majority of volunteers, media or the staff at local hotels would not be tested." Instead, they "would be screened with thermal readings and questionnaires" (GOLFCHANNEL.com, 5/27).
T-MINUS 2 WEEKS: GOLFCHANNEL.com's Hoggard wrote while the Charles Schwab Challenge is still two weeks away, players are being "advised to start their preparations now." Tournament Dir Michael Tothe "outlined many of the protocols that will be required when play resumes on June 11 at Colonial including the four Fort Worth, Texas, hotels that will create the foundation of the circuit’s 'bubble' for the week." Players are "allowed to stay in individual RVs or rental homes but they are being encouraged to assure the health and safety of their accommodations if they choose to stay outside the bubble" (GOLFCHANNEL.com, 5/27).
