Two years ago, Jay Monahan’s vision for the upcoming Northern Trust would have been rooted in the glorious return to TPC Boston, the one-year absence while the tournament took its alternate turn in New Jersey replaced by a happy homecoming in Norton.
With the elevated status of opening golf’s season-ending FedExCup Playoffs and the honor of it being held in his beloved home state, Monahan would have looked ahead with appropriate advance smiles.
Only two months ago, however, Monahan’s vision was shrouded in haze, blurred as an entire sports landscape was halted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Back then, the PGA Tour commissioner couldn’t even assure himself the event would happen, not as the virus continued to spread and the sports world grappled with how, or if, it could return. Even as golf took the earliest cautious steps into a restart, an initial wave of positive tests left Monahan holding on with all his might, his international media call during the Travelers Championship revealing many questions about whether the Tour would continue playing.
But now, with golfers wrapping up their regular season in Greensboro, N.C., and the top points earners heading north to Massachusetts for the first leg of the playoff series, Monahan is breathing a bit easier. Not that vigilance ever abates, mind you, but appreciation is at the very least invited to make an appearance, a chance to reflect on how Monahan’s leadership, the players’ cooperation, and having a sport that lends itself to social distancing got us here.
Advertisement
As it turned out, golf has provided one of the most successful road maps through the pandemic, providing competition outside the confines of a bubble with cooperation and conversation born from inside the sport.
“I would say that my personal feeling is one of excitement,” Monahan said this past week in a phone conversation with the Globe. “There was a period of time where we were uncertain when we were going to return, whether or not we were going to be able to complete our season.
Advertisement
“To now be in our 10th week, with the Wyndham under way in Greensboro, starting the FedEx playoffs at TPC Boston next week, to me I’m really excited.
“And I’m proud of the way that our players, our caddies, our staff, everyone has come together to take responsibility to do everything we can to ensure a healthy and safe return. I feel like we’re on a really good path and I think being back at TPC Boston is a good indication of that.
“I think for everybody associated with the PGA Tour, for me, given that it’s my hometown and I am a fan of all teams and all things Boston, the good news is that we’re playing in August and we’re showcasing Norton, Mansfield, the city of Boston, and New England to the world.
“To not have that that would be the ultimate disappointment.”
Yet as much as the welcome mats are out for the game’s top stars, young and old — from Tiger Woods, to Phil Mickelson, to Rory McIlroy, to Justin Thomas, to Jordan Spieth, to Brooks Koepka, to Dustin Johnson, to Collin Morikawa and his Wanamaker Trophy — the world remains far different from what we know as normal. The fans don’t get to go, and the players don’t get to feed off their energy.
Advertisement
Yet as Monahan has discovered, being on the airwaves since mid-June has allowed golf to connect to its audience in deeper digital ways, with both ratings and online engagement benefiting from the comparatively quick return.
It wasn’t a race, yet with golf taking a lead and (so far) able to withstand setbacks through a combination of testing, quarantining, and contact tracing, the example is set.
“Leading into our return and since we’ve returned, I’ve continued to talk to a lot of people, in sport and outside of sport, to learn as much as I can, and be open to the same questions. Our team does as well,” Monahan said.
“But when we returned that week of June 8, there was not a whole lot of live sports programming at that time. We were out in front. And I know everyone was watching. They were asking questions, reaching out, encouraging us.
“So I think that that added to our responsibility. But I think the reason that we were back in that time frame is not that we wanted to be the first ones back, but because by that point we had determined alongside our board and our players that the health and safety program that was supported could work. And then we realized we could return and complete our season, so that was the right timing for us.”
And now it’s time for Monahan to enjoy the trip home, to visit with his father and his brothers, to root for the Red Sox, Celtics, and Bruins, to hear the familiar cadence of the only accent he’s known since birth.
Advertisement
It might not look the way he would have guessed two years ago or two months ago, but it’s a welcome sight nonetheless.
Tara Sullivan is a Globe columnist. She can be reached at tara.sullivan@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @Globe_Tara.
"much" - Google News
August 16, 2020 at 01:56AM
https://ift.tt/31Otuqo
PGA Tour’s return to Boston, once very much in doubt, will be a welcome sight - The Boston Globe
"much" - Google News
https://ift.tt/37eLLij
Shoes Man Tutorial
Pos News Update
Meme Update
Korean Entertainment News
Japan News Update
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "PGA Tour’s return to Boston, once very much in doubt, will be a welcome sight - The Boston Globe"
Post a Comment