Jay Monahan - © Getty Images

The 91-day PGA TOUR hiatus since the cancellation of the PLAYERS 'CHAMPIONSHIP - the longest unplanned hiatus to competition since WWII - will finally end this Thursday when the sport resumes at the Charles Schwab Challenge. Golf, which is one of the first sports to be revived since the COVID-19 pandemic, is set to take center stage again in Fort Worth, Texas, where the top five players in the world and 16 of 20 first should play.

This interview with Jay Monahan has been edited and condensed for clarity.

QUESTION: With the unique challenge of finally relaunching golf this week after a 91 day hiatus, I can't imagine what this process has been like over the past three months. Are you enthusiastic? Nervous? Anxious?

JAY MONAHAN: You imagine that in such a situation, you feel a lot of emotions. The biggest, or the most important for me, is that I am very enthusiastic. I know our players are enthusiastic. I know everyone who has been part of this process is euphoric that the sport will resume this week at the Charles Schwab Challenge. On the field, the five best players in the world and over 100 PGA TOUR winners who return to a legendary place where we have played every year since 1946, at the Colonial Country Club. I am crazy with happiness. Today, it's hard to believe that 91 days will have passed since our last competition, and I'm really proud of the efforts everyone has made to bring us back.

Q: Sanford Health will send lab technicians to tournament venues in one of three mobile testing units and can deliver COVID-19 results within hours. I imagine that helped alleviate a lot of concerns among the players. What was your reaction when Sanford Health suddenly was able to give test results so quickly?

JM: First of all, I was very grateful. Sanford Health is a great partner for the PGA TOUR Championships. At that time, there was a lot of talk about how not only the PGA TOUR, but also all sports and businesses could resume their activities in a safe and responsible manner. Sanford was watching what we were doing and what we were saying and reached out to us. We are looking at things from two angles: how do we apply our testing program by allowing our players to prepare for the competition without having to wait long? And at the same time, how can we do it without depriving the communities where we play of the resources they need? Being able to have these mobile test facilities and vans at our tournament this week in Colonial and every week in the future, to arrive, have the tests done in two to four hours, and be able to purchase all of them. these supplies and providing all of these resources enables us to achieve both of these goals. I'll just tell you that when you

start planning, listen carefully to what medical experts tell you, and follow the guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control. It was a concern for us, and I know it was the same for our players. We figured this was something we would probably be able to pull off, but it took a while to get all the details organized. Our team, and that of Sanford Health, have done an exceptional job on this front.

Q: I imagine this is one of the biggest questions a player, caddy or official has had in recent months. Tell us what was your answer to this question: What happens when a player tests positive?

JM: In summary, we will follow CDC guidelines and work with local and national health officials and officials. But let me answer this question in more detail. By the time players depart for Fort Worth or Jacksonville (Florida) and the Korn Ferry Tour, they will have already been tested. To get on the plane, they will need to test negative. Upon arrival, they will immediately go to the testing center to be tested again. To be free to move around the golf course, the test must be negative. Then we, every day, we will apply a screening process at several levels, with thermal tests and a health questionnaire to which the players will have to answer. Finally add to this that we will practice social distancing, that is to say that we have identified ways to keep our players, our caddies and all our participants separated from each other, and that we will not have spectators. ; we have a fairly comprehensive anti-infective protocol and we will continue this separation to the hotel and then to the charters that will transport our players and caddies to and from the events. It seems to us that we have done everything we can to make it impossible for a player, caddy or anyone else in our little bubble to test positive. But if the case does occur, we will revert to our original statement that we will follow the guidance of the experts.

Q: Have Sanford Health or any other health official given you any estimates as to what you will get? The other day I read a report that the University of Alabama American football team had been tested, and at least five players had tested positive. When it comes to group testing, has Sanford given you any information that you can use or prepare for?

JM: That's the question we all want answered, isn't it? It is so difficult; don't forget that our players come from all over the country, and many of them returned from overseas a few weeks ago. They couldn't really give an indication. We followed other sports, and we followed the news and saw what happened in other areas. We are optimistic that since the players are doing well and tested negative that we will not have many positive tests. But if so, we'll be ready.

Q: So let's talk about what excites us. Sixteen of the twenty best players in the world will compete this week in the Charles Schwab Challenge. What great competitions you will have, not only in Fort Worth, but probably in the weeks to come! Everyone wants to go back to work and play golf. Do you expect fan demand to be higher than ever, just because everyone at home wants to watch live sports again?

JM: Absolutely. We have listened to our fans throughout this process. Our players are enthusiastic, our fans are enthusiastic, and I think sports fans in general, beyond golf enthusiasts, are very keen to see the sport on screen again. To be one of the first to do that, to come back with such a strong product over an extended period of time as we move into the heart of the season and ultimately into the FedExCup playoffs, with such strong ground, I think that will lead to a strong consumption and a strong presence of the PGA TOUR. For the game, we are really proud of what this means for our TOUR, for the opportunities for our players and for our impact on the communities in which we play. In my rare spare time being able to go out and play golf, hit balls and walk on a golf course, now that all 50 states are open, I think 97% of the courses are open. As a parent, when you watch the kids they are limited in a lot of normal sports and recreational activities, but the golf course is open and ready to welcome everyone. We are very excited about what this time, this opportunity means for our sport. We are determined to make a difference in this area, alongside our industry partners.

Q: To conclude, what do you think of what is happening in America right now?

JM: I am very sad. Lots of thought, as you may have heard me say to Harold Varner III (in an interview on Facebook Live, last week). As a human being, as the leader of this organization, I really think that when you see issues of this magnitude, it's really important to step back, listen, and ultimately identify. the ways you can participate in the solution. This is what I am committed to as a human being, and this is what I am committed to as the leader of this organization. While it's hard for everyone to imagine that we have to deal with both a pandemic and now this social unrest, I think there really is a reason for all of this. It is our responsibility to respond to these challenges and turn them into a positive, to move towards the best, and that is what we are committed to doing.

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Box: The COVID-19 hiatus in the historical context

Since the international professional golfers were organized in 1916, they participate in numerous tournaments every year. There have, however, been times in history where the game has stopped for various reasons. The most recent disruption is due to the current COVID-19 pandemic which has spread around the world. When PGA TOUR players return to the Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas this week, TOUR golf competitions will have been suspended for 95 consecutive days. Here are the longest unplanned stoppages - and their reasons - in TOUR history.

The longest unplanned interruptions in PGA TOUR history

371 days: Spanish flu pandemic and first world war
From March 30, 1918 to April 5, 1919

343 days : Second World War
August 16, 1942 to July 25, 1943

105 days: Second World War
From September 3 to 17 December 1943

91 days: COVID-19 Pandemic
March 11 10 in June 2020

10 days: California floods (Pebble Beach)
From January 28 to February 7, 1996

9 days: Texas floods (Houston)
From 2 May to 11 May 1966

9 days : Mississippi (Madison) Floods
From October 26 to November 4, 2009

9 days : Terrorist attacks in the United States
From September 10 to 19 September 2011

9 days : West Virginia Floods (White Sulfur Springs)
July 4-13, 2016

8 days : Texas floods (Fort Worth)
From 31 May to 8 June 1949

To know more : https://www.pgatour.com/

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