It’s official — spectators are part of the plan for the 45th edition of The Memorial Tournament, when it takes place in Columbus, Ohio, this July.
That state’s governor, Mike DeWine, announced during a press briefing on Friday that he has approved the Memorial Plan for Fans.
One week earlier, on July 9-12, Muirfield Village will play host to a new, one-time Tour event that will be held without fans. The tour has not revealed the name of that tournament, but it will be sponsored by Workday, a software company centering on finance and human resources.
DeWine’s lifting of restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, which will go into effect in two weeks, also includes casinos, racinos, amusement parks, water parks and outdoor theaters, once they submit an activation plan.
The Memorial already submitted its plan, which has been approved, tournament director Dan Sullivan said. Ohio’s three other professional golf tournaments this summer ― the Senior Players in Akron, Marathon Classic in Toledo and Nationwide Children’s Championship at the Ohio State Scarlet course ― are also expected to be green-lighted to have fans once their activation plans have been reviewed.
“We are grateful the governor, lieutenant governor and their staffs reviewed our activation plan and approved our ability to host patrons,” Sullivan texted The Dispatch. “We will be delivering detail on the plan and the events of tournament week in the coming days.”
In clearing the way for the Memorial to include fans, DeWine cautioned that the coronavirus pandemic is still going strong.
“The virus is still out there. It’s not going away,” DeWine said, before explaining that data shows new cases and hospital admissions are dropping, making it possible for large-group events to open, if they follow safety practices.
Sullivan said last month that among other safety precautions, the Memorial would monitor spectator movement via a tracking chip in fan badges so that large crowds do not form.
