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The fact that no one can forget it, but almost no one remembers the last edition, shows how strange THE PLAYERS Championship was last year. For the record, Hideki Matsuyama played 63 to lead after a first round which, like the tournament itself, was never finished.

Challenging real-time decision-making, rubik's cube-like communication and coordination between local, state and federal agencies, a tie at 144 for first place - anyway, The Players 2020 will stick. the edition to forget.

THE PLAYERS Championship will limit the stands to approximately 20% of their usual capacity this year, which is better than the zero allowed on the site for the initial TOUR return.

"I have always had great respect for the fans"says Mike Tirico, who will feature the cover of TPC Sawgrass on NBC. “They are our clients, if you want to sum it up, but I never imagined how much their energy and ability to set the tone at sporting events would be missed. I have broadcast several football matches without an audience or with a very limited audience. "

“If there is one thing that came out of these three months and the feedback that followed,” he continues, “it is how much the supporters have an impact and contribute to the experience. "

This is a common sentiment when it comes to the entertainment industry that is the TOUR. While it has always been thought that fans are important, their influence can hardly be overstated anymore.

Golf itself has done well. The number of games played has increased, as has equipment sales.

"People have come back to the game.", explains NBC producer Tommy Roy. "And we saw a slight uptick in ratings, towards the end of last spring and this year - can we attribute that to that?" I do not know.. "

Billy Horschel says he got a taste of retirement:“I haven't touched a club for five or six weeks,” he says. “It just showed me that when my time is up for the competition, I can walk away from the game and be OK. It was one of the greatest things. There are professional things I want to do outside of the game. "

Others have found a new appreciation for their careers.

“It's a shame that all of this is happening in the world. ", Matthew Wolff said. “It puts into perspective how blessed we are to do what we do. The TOUR did a very good job of testing and safety for everyone. We were lucky to be able to continue doing what we love. ”

Monahan, too, says we shouldn't take things for granted after the 2020 trials.

Harris English, who had a score of 65 in the first round of the THE PLAYERS Championship which was not, is eager to return to TPC Sawgrass. It is a testament to the importance of the tournament in the minds of the players that it still hurts, just a little, that he never could try to capitalize on his canonical start.

“My trainer, Justin Parsons, called me and said, 'Sorry for the news. You did all you could do. "", says English. “He kind of consoled me for the cancellation of the tournament when I was in a good position. Obviously, this was the best thing for the TOUR. "

“One of the main things I learned is not to take this game for granted. "He says. “We believe golf and the TOUR will always be here, but the safety and health of this country and this world is above the game. I have really missed playing competitive golf. I missed traveling to the cities where we play and seeing the familiar faces. We're lucky to be able to keep playing and doing what we love to do. Across the country, people have been and are being made redundant or laid off. We are one of the lucky ones. We don't take it for granted. "

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