We’re starting to see how the Tours will work

A vISIoN of how golf will operate for the foreseeable future moved into view with the charity Skins game in Florida on Sunday night — and it was clearly workable. As far as regular PGA Tour golf goes, I think we can cope without the hospitality structures that sometimes lead to the players receiving outrageous free drops and the boozed-up sections of the American crowd shouting weird remarks every time a golf ball is airborne. Sure, we’ll miss the usual atmosphere at the weekend, but the fields will be strong and the first couple of venues are two of the best on tour — Colonial in Texas and Harbour Town links on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. Perhaps the clincher was the sight of world No 1 Rory McIlroy, clearly in his element to be simply playing again. What a reminder that was of what we’ve been missing. Meanwhile, on the European Tour, there has been only silence in recent weeks as they try to put together a revised schedule.

Expect an announcement before the end of the month, with a behind-closed-doors British Masters kicking things off a week earlier than currently scheduled in July. All told, the revised schedule should run for five months featuring around 21 events, including a run in the British Isles in August and a strong cluster of tournaments in october. But it’s a sobering reminder of the effects of the pandemic that half of those tournaments are likely to feature total prize money in the region of $1.1million. McIlroy won that much for his charity on Sunday night simply for a shot that finished closest to the pin!