Week 2 at TPC to look much like the first
After wrapping up a thirdplace finish at the TPC Colorado Championship at Heron Lakes on July 4, Taylor Pendrith and his caddie embarked on a 14-hour drive to San Antonio.
Pendrith was preparing to compete in the Korn Ferry Tour’s TPC San Antonio Challenge at the Canyons, and he had two days to kill between the conclusion of the event in Colorado on Saturday and his first practice round in San Antonio last Tuesday.
With Korn Ferry Tour players searching for ways to minimize risks amid the coronavirus pandemic, Pendrith decided driving was his best option.
His first week in San Antonio yielded a second-place result Sunday, as well as a much easier turnaround for his next tournament. He won’t even have to change hotels, staying on site at the JW Marriott through practice rounds Monday and Tuesday before beginning play today in the TPC San Antonio Championship at the Oaks — the second of back-toback Korn Ferry Tour events that mark the return of professional sports to the Alamo City.
“It was really cool to see West Texas on the drive here,” Pendrith said. “This resort is great. We’re staying right here, so it’s very convenient, and the golf course is fantastic.”
Tournament director Darren Nelson said the Korn Ferry Tour advised players to stay at the resort to help create a “bubble” environment, and more than half the field booked rooms at the JW Marriott.
Among other precautions, players are asked not to use the hotel gym or pool and to eat takeout rather than dine at restaurants.
“There’s been a lot of positives to it, to have everybody here on site,” Nelson said. “That way, they’re not going out to restaurants and things like that, off property. That’s one of the biggest reasons we hosted the back-to-back events here.”
Holding consecutive tournaments at one location also allows the Korn Ferry Tour to split many one-time hosting costs across the budget for two events.
With pro-am tournaments canceled and travel not required for players competing
in last week’s field, the Korn Ferry Tour elected to play this week’s event today through Saturday rather than the typical Thursday through Sunday. That will give players an extra day to travel to next week’s Prince Cutter Charity Championship in Springfield, Mo.
Players who missed the cut in last week’s event had access to the resort’s practice areas, limiting the need to leave the property between tournaments.
“Even if I have a flight of a couple hours to the next city, it’s not that easy,” said John Chin, an entrant in both San Antonio tournaments. “This is kind of nice. Especially with the weather and conditions, I’ll be getting used to it, even if it’s a different golf course.”
Nelson said the safety and testing protocols for this week’s event are a “carbon copy” of those from last week, with fans still barred. The only policy changes are related to the heat, Nelson said, including moving the scoring area indoors and providing additional drinking water at each hole.
Players, caddies, staff and volunteers — including those who participated in last week’s event — were tested between noon Saturday and noon Tuesday. Anyone entering the tournament grounds must undergo a symptom screening and temperature check.
“We have it down to a science now,” Nelson said. “That process has been smooth.”
Through the uptick of confirmed COVID-19 cases in San Antonio in recent weeks, Nelson said tournament officials have monitored local trends and guidelines, keeping a close eye on Mayor Ron Nirenberg’s Twitter feed.
Nelson said the players have been committed to following the rules set forth by the PGA Tour, knowing safety is paramount to events staying on the calendar.
Every decision the staff makes is viewed through that lens, Nelson said. In response to temperatures pushing past 100 degrees, tournament officials considered making ice towels available to volunteers walking the course to track scoring. But after consideration, the risks tied to proper sharing and disposal seemed too steep to be worthwhile.
“You really have to think it out,” Nelson said. “Is this the best decision based on the pandemic we’re all living in right now? A decision that might’ve sounded good before the pandemic maybe doesn’t make sense right now.”