PGA Tour to return in June without fans: report

The PGA Tour will return on June 11 for the Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas, Golf Digest is reporting.

If the date holds, it would mark the first professional sport’s return to television screens in the U.S. amid the coronavirus pandemic. Almost all major sports postponed or canceled their seasons in March as the coronavirus outbreak spread across the country.

The return of golf before other sports makes the most sense, since social distancing among players is relatively easy to accomplish.

Golf Digest says the rest of the PGA Tour schedule after the Charles Schwab Challenge will remain in place, while major championships, including the Masters and U.S. Open, which were scheduled for April and May, respectively, will move to the fall. The British Open has been canceled for 2020.

CBS and NBC hold broadcast rights to PGA Tour events, which perform consistently well from a ratings perspective.

The NFL’s draft is still set for April 23 in Las Vegas, but it will not include a live audience, given the health crisis. The league says it currently plans to begin its season in September with fans in attendance.

Major League Baseball, the NBA and the NHL are still exploring options to begin their seasons this summer, but no dates have been announced.