Johnson, McIlroy preparing for televised return to course

Dustin Johnson left The Players Championship two months ago and didn’t play another round of golf until four days ago, the start of a crash course for his return to playing before a television audience.

He also owes it to his partner, Rory McIlroy, to practice.

They play against Rickie Fowler and Matthew Wolff on May 17 at Seminole Golf Club in a charity skins game, the first live golf on television since the opening round of The Players Championship on March 12. It was canceled — along with sports worldwide — because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I figured I probably should play a little bit of golf before we tee it up here this Sunday,” Johnson said on a conference call May 14. “But I’ll be ready. Don’t you worry.”

McIlroy has been playing some but not really working. He expects that to start after the May 17 match, giving him three full weeks of hard practice to get ready for the PGA Tour’s return at Colonial.

But it’s more than golf that will be on display from Seminole, the Donald Ross design along the Atlantic Ocean that has hosted the game’s best over the years, just never on TV.

Along with $4 million or more for COVID-19 relief efforts, this is as much about how golf will look when it returns for real.

The players will not have caddies and will carry their own bags. The advantage there goes to Wolff, who was still at Oklahoma State this time last year and has recent experience lugging his own clubs.

Social distancing is paramount.

“I think we have a big responsibility on ourselves to make sure that we practice all the guidelines that the PGA Tour is going to set in place,” Johnson said. “Obviously, everyone is going to be watching what we’re doing, so I think it’s very important for us to do it all correctly. We have a responsibility to ourselves and all the other players to stay safe and stay healthy.”

Bunkers will not have rakes. They won’t be needed, anyway, not with only one match on the course. Just in case, a PGA Tour rules official will carry a rake with him. Players will be encouraged to putt with the flagstick in the cup. If it needs removed, that’s the job of another PGA Tour rules official.

Andy Levinson, the tour’s senior vice president of tournament administration, said all four players have gone through a diagnostic PCR test for the virus, and there will be additional testing, temperature taking and health questionnaires for everyone at Seminole (a number likely to be around 50).

“It’s a great opportunity for us to implement similar procedures to what we’re going to be implementing when we return to competition on the PGA Tour and see how they work, albeit in a very much smaller manner,” Levinson said.

KAMRAN JEBREILI — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Dustin Johnson and Rory McIlroy talk on the 10th fairway during the first round of the 2018Abu Dhabi Championship.