Playing behind closed doors is waste of time

Sadly, this is no normal year, and Sky Sports’ voice of golf must spend the next couple of months, at least, waiting for the season to resume.

Murray knows it is a wait that is going to test everyone’s patience. And it is going to require co-operation from all parties within golf to come up with a revised schedule.

But there is one thing he is adamant about – when and wherever tournament golf resumes, it must be as normal, with spectators lining the fairways.

“Sport behind closed doors is a waste of time, so don’t go down that road,” says the Scot.

“I watched a European football match without fans before the shutdown, and you realise how important the fans are. Then it’s not the spectacle that we all enjoy.

“I don’t think TV viewers would enjoy it either. There would be no grandstands, no atmosphere, it would be like a monthly medal, only of higher quality! “We want the patrons at Augusta or the people who travel to The Open every year to be in attendance. And could you imagine the Ryder Cup with no noise? “We have to come back with what we know and we must wait until we are ready to do that. If that means an event is cancelled for a year, so be it. If there is no Masters this year, imagine how excited we would be for next year.

“While if there were no spectators at Royal St George’s, it would take away what The Open is, being announced as Champion Golfer with no-one there to acclaim you.”

Ewen (inset) was in the commentary box for the last golf before the shutdown on the first day of the Players’ Championship at Sawgrass until it was cancelled, and the Scot admits that it was a surreal experience.

“It’s now 10 days since that first round and it feels like an eternity,” he recalls.

“The golf in the morning was outstanding but it wasn’t the same. People were very quiet. Commentary was difficult. I was talking with Rich Beem in an ad break and we weren’t our normal selves. We felt we shouldn’t be there. “We knew something was going to happen and we expected it would be to go ahead with no fans. “Part of me wishes that play had continued on that Friday with no spectators. Then everyone could have seen it and said ‘not for me’.” Ewen’s microphone may be silent for a while, but his hope is that the golfing bodies are actively discussing ways to come up with a schedule that suits players, sponsors and broadcasters. And he has his own idea for trying to ensure not as much golf is lost from the 2020 calendar.

“You need the brains departments of all the Tours to get together,” he adds. “They must come up with a plan if we’re ready to resume on June 1, July 1 or whenever it is. “Tournaments in both Europe and on the PGA Tour could be cut to three days with a cut after two and then a final round.

“Then you could play three events over a two-week period instead of just two.”