No fans for LPGA tournament in Arkansas

The LPGA announced Thursday that the upcoming NW Arkansas Championship tournament at Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers will be played without fans in attendance because of ongoing concerns from the covid-19 pandemic.

The event, scheduled for Pinnacle Country Club on Aug. 28-30, will be televised on Golf Channel all three days.

“The health and safety of the NW Arkansas community has remained the top priority as we discussed plans for this year’s tournament,’ said Walmart Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer Donna Morris in a news release. “While we always love having fans in attendance, we felt it was the right decision to not have them join this year.”

It was also announced on Thursday that BITE NW Arkansas food festival was going to be canceled for this fall. Individuals that have already purchased tickets for this year’s tournament or food festival will receive a refund within seven business days. No action is needed from current ticket holders to receive the refund, the release said. The purse for this year’s event was increased to $2.3 million. Sung Hyun Park is the defending champion of the tournament,

The LPGA has been idle since March because of the coronavirus pandemic. The tour is scheduled to return on July 31 in Ohio.

LPGA Tour Commissioner Mike Whan said the Arkansas event is always a popular stop.

“We appreciate the support of our partners at Walmart and Procter and Gamble as we collaboratively navigate this unprecedented time,” said Whan. “The LPGA family always loves our week at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship and the amazing fans in Rogers make it such a special experience. While this year’s tournament will certainly be different, I cannot thank Walmart and Procter and Gamble enough for their unwavering commitment to our players, as evidenced by this year’s purse increase and by providing them a valuable opportunity to compete during this limited season.

“I hope all of our local fans will tune in to Golf Channel to watch their favorite players, and we can’t wait until we can all be together again.”