Ror of the crowd is so crucial
RORY MCILROY is excited about the return of fans to PGA Tour events as he prepares to make his debut in the Waste Management Phoenix Open.
Around 5,000 people per day will be allowed at TPC Scottsdale, with
2,000 permitted around the famous par-three 16th at any one time.
Those figures are way down on the 16,000 usually creating a raucous atmosphere at the 16th or the overall attendance record of 719,179 in 2019, but Mcilroy feels it is a welcome step as golf continues to deal with the coronavirus pandemic.
“I’m looking forward to welcoming fans back,” Mcilroy said. “It’s going to be gradual, I don’t think anything’s going to be at capacity or 100 per cent for a while, but the fact that Phoenix is going to have 5,000… I think it’s a good thing.
“It will actually be nice to just have a reaction, to get a clap or not get a clap or whatever.”
Mcilroy was on a run of seven consecutive top-five finishes when golf shut down last year due to the pandemic, and admitted he struggled to deal with the lack of spectators when tournaments resumed behind closed doors.
“The most difficult thing for me without having fans is just sometimes it just felt so casual,” added the former world number one, who is without a win since November 2019.
“You’re just out there and it’s sort of just like playing a practice round. That’s been the thing I’ve had to get used to, because I play way better on Tour than I do at home because I’ve something to focus me.”