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SPORTS Friday 13 March 2020

Matsuyama matches record score easily forgotten at Sawgrass

By DOUG FERGUSON course so fun, so exciting,
AP Golf Writer is all the fans cheering and
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. booing when you hit a bad
(AP) — Fans scattered shot," Koepka said after
around the ninth green saw birdies on three of his last
Hideki Matsuyama finish four holes for a 70. "That's
with a 25-foot eagle putt to what you want. You want
tie the course record and that excitement, that aura
take the lead at The Players around you. And tomorrow
Championship. we're not going to have
Spectators filled the the- that. It will be a bit weird."
ater around the dynamic The crowd was thinner
16th and 17th holes at the than usual, even by Thurs-
TPC Sawgrass to see Rory day morning standards.
McIlroy and Brooks Koepka Players were alerted late
salvage rough starts. Wednesday to prepare to
After Thursday, that's all play, even as the NBA an-
they'll see — for the rest of nounced it was suspending
the week at The Players, for its season and other sports
at least the next month on leagues followed.
the PGA Tour. Before long, the tour decid-
"At least they got to enjoy ed to keep fans away.
themselves for one day," That wasn't enough for C.T.
McIlroy said. "Now it's going Pan of Taiwan, who with- Hideki Matsuyama of Japan, hits from the 11th green, during the first round of The Players
to look a little different." drew before his afternoon Championship golf tournament Thursday, March 12, 2020, in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.
Associated Press
Even with the best in the tee time because he want-
world competing for the ed to reduce the risk of ex-
richest purse in golf, The posure to the virus. Pan said "We just don't really know they said there's no specta- noted that golf was a non-
Players Championship felt on Twitter: "Our lifestyle is how to react and didn't re- tors the rest of the week." contact sport.
like an afterthought amid like a circus, traveling from ally know what to expect," Fans who made it into the "We feel that this is a safe
rapid developments with one place to another. We McDowell said after a 68, tournament Thursday were environment in which to
the new coronavirus that believe this is a time to ex- his best score in his last 20 told no autographs were continue to move forward
led sports around the world ercise caution by not play- rounds at Sawgrass. "At one allowed. They weren't ... with limited personnel on
to stop playing. ing this week." point, I was nearly expect- asked to leave when the site, and we're comfortable
Golf goes on — but without Matsuyama opened with ing the horns to go off out tour decided to ban spec- that this is the right path for-
fans. four straight birdies and there for us all to be taken tators, and people were still ward," Monahan said. "But
The PGA Tour said it was closed with a 3-wood into off the golf course." coming into the course in that is something that we'll
banning spectators at all 25 feet for eagle and a Jordan Spieth, who shot the afternoon. continue to consider as we
tournaments for at least 9-under 63, the ninth player 75 as his struggles showed Commissioner Jay Monah- go forward."
the next month. The policy to share the record at Saw- few signs of improving, an said the tour received McIlroy, who's had hand
starts Friday, the first time grass. wasn't aware of the deci- information that the vi- sanitizer attached to his
one of the most entertain- He had a two-shot lead sion when he teed off. He rus was not yet a major bag for the last two weeks,
ing arenas in golf will be vir- over Harris English, former first caught wind during an threat in the area — his two approved of the decision.
tually empty. winner Si Woo Kim and exchange with a fan that daughters were in school, However, he said it would
Fans won't be around to Christiian Bezuidenhout made him pause. theaters and businesses only take one player or
bet with each other on who of South Africa. For much "Guys were saying, 'We're remained open — but ac- caddie to be tested posi-
hits the island green on the of the day, they were just going to miss you guys knowledged the situation tive for the virus and he felt
par-3 17th. Players won't be names and numbers on the this weekend' during the was fluid. the tour would have to shut
able to sense whether shots scoreboard. middle of the round," Spi- Why not just shut down golf down.
funnel toward the hole with Graeme McDowell de- eth said. "We thought that entirely? "I think for us to keep play-
no noise from the gallery scribed a somber mood was kind of rude, meaning He said golf was different ing on tour, we all — the
to tell them. No cheers. No in the locker room and on we're not going to be here because it was an out- tour players and people
jeers. the range as he tried to get this weekend. Then I real- doors event over a sprawl- that are involved — need
"That's what makes this golf warmed up. ized when I was told that ing piece of property and to get tested," he said.q