V Krishnaswamy
June 4: It is not just the depth of fields at PGA Tour events that is amazing, but even the list of sponsors they have is long and deep. No sooner had John Deere Classic been cancelled, the PGA Tour went into an overdrive to get another sponsor to fill in the week.
And it has found one in Workday Inc, whose presence in golf includes relationships with Phil Mickelson, Davis Love III, Matt Kuchar, Brandt Snedeker and Matt Fitzpatrick among others. Now they will be the title sponsor of an one-off event that is yet to be titled. The players have been informed earlier this week though the prize purse has not been announced.
It will now lead to a double-header at Muirfield Village with the new event having a 156–field and the Memorial will go back to its usual norm of 120-field. Muirfield Village played host to Ryder Cup in 1987 and then Solheim Cup in 1998 and the Presidents Cup in 2013.
Jack Nicklaus has been the host of the Memorial, which goes back 1976, but it is not clear what role, if any, he may have in this new event.
The tour is to resume June 11-14 at the Colonial in Fort Worth, Texas, with no spectators or hospitality.
As per information, players will be asked to stay in designated hotels and there will also be charter flights. With this new event in the same city as Memorial, players can stay put in same hotels for two weeks and that might make things easier for the Tour.
Woods, a five-time winner, is likely play the Memorial, but it remains tot be seen if he will play two weeks in a row. Woods holds the record with five victories at Muirfield Village. Patrick Cantlay is the defending champion.
The John Deere Classic, which was cancelled and is now set to return in 2021.
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