PGA considering moving PGA Championship from Harding Park to TPC Sawgrass

The PGA and PGA Tour are discussing a possible contingency plan to move the 2020 PGA Championship due to coronavirus concerns. Golf writer Robert Lusetich reported the plan would move the PGA Championship from Harding Park in San Francisco to TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, home of this week’s THE PLAYERS Championship. The tournament is set to take place May 14-17.

Lusetich tweeted out a statement in which the PGA said it is monitoring a rapidly evolving situation and following guidance from San Francisco and California public health authorities.

Harding Park is a public course, while TPC Sawgrass is a private course. The San Francisco Chronicle offered some details on what the public aspect of Harding Park means.

One factor that could come into play is that Harding Park is a public course, therefore subject to orders from city officials. San Francisco has temporarily banned large gatherings at publicly-owned venues, as part of Mayor London Breed’s Feb. 25 state of emergency declaration. On Saturday, the San Francisco Department of Health issued an order — in effect until March 29 — banning gatherings of more than 50 people at a number of city-owned facilities, although Harding Park was not on the list.

We have two months until the tournament. While plenty can change, a decision likely will be made fairly soon to potentially begin necessary preparations at TPC Sawgrass after THE PLAYERS Championship.