PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said Friday morning there were two factors that forced him to call off the Players Championship the previous night.
The first was his players coming off the course after the first round and asking questions about logistics and safety in relation to the coronavirus, particularly European players who asked about how they might get home or how their families might get to the United States.
“Our players are always vocal,” Monahan said. “We were proactive in trying to share our thinking.”
The second factor in Monahan’s decision was hearing Thursday that the Disney theme parks and Universal Studios were shutting down.
“Even though we feel we have a safe environment, we can’t proceed,” Monahan said of making the tough call to suspend the Players after just one round.
It’s been a rough week for Monahan, who announced Thursday at noon that the Players would be held without spectators after the opening round. After the round, the Tour doubled down on its decision to keep playing Friday, announcing plans to limit personnel on the course and shutting down food vendors among other things.
At about 10 p.m. Thursday night, the Tour announced play would be canceled at the Players and for three weeks through the Valero Texas Open. “As the situation continues to rapidly change – the right thing to do for our players and our fans is to pause,” the Tour’s statement read.
