The Players Championship will not have spectators for the final three days at the TPC Sawgrass.
A person involved in the discussions over the new coronavirus says the policy is expected to be in place for the next several weeks, starting with The Players and extending to next week at the Valspar Championship in the Tampa Bay area. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the move has not been announced.
The only times a PGA Tour event has kept fans off the course were safety issues related to weather.
Even as the NBA suspended its season and the NCAA said its basketball tournaments would not have fans, The Players began Thursday with fans. The only stipulation Thursday was they not ask for autographs.
Still to be determined was who would be allowed in. The source said media and key personnel would be allowed.
The news comes as other large-scale events are also being cancelled locally. In St. Pete, officials announced that fans
would not be permitted to attend the Grand Prix IndyCar races this weekend and talks were still ongoing about whether to cancel the event altogether.
The NBA paused its season after a player tested positive for the coronavirus and a music event in Miami was also cancelled.
The Democratic debate between Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders scheduled for Friday will also not include a live audience and instead will only be broadcast on television.
The White House is
closing its public tours and the U.S. House and Senate will not be open to the public, officials announced Thursday.
Event cancellations have
ramped up since the World Health Organization on Wednesday upgraded the coronavirus outbreak
to a pandemic, a move the agency had been reluctant to make before Wednesday.
Florida colleges and universities are also shifting classes online to minimize the potential spread. Other moves nationwide are occurring including at Harvard University.
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Republished with permission from the Associated Press.
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