San Francisco (AFP)
The golf course in San Francisco (California) where the PGA Championship is to take place next August, will reopen Monday, officials said on Sunday that had to take measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
TPC Harding Park had been closed since March 16 as part of measures taken by local authorities to fight the Covid-19 pandemic.
From Monday, players will have to wear masks in public spaces before removing them when they play, while constantly respecting the rules of social distancing.
Rakes to refurbish bunkers, trash cans along the way, and bale cleaners at the start of each hole have been removed, officials at TPC Harding Park said.
It will also be prohibited to touch the flags, while plastic tubes have been placed at the bottom of the 18 holes to facilitate the recovery of the balls.
The PGA Championship is one of four Grand Slam tournaments on the professional golf circuit. It was originally scheduled to take place from May 14 to 17, but was rescheduled between August 6 and 9 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The American Bruce Kopeka has won the last two editions of the PGA Championship, in 2018 and 2019. The world number 3 can become this year, if the test is held, the first player to chain three wins in a row in the PGA Championship since his compatriot Walter Hagen who won it four times in succession between 1924 and 1927.
The two other major tournaments held in the United States have also been rescheduled, the Masters from April to November and the US Open from June to September, while the British Open has simply been canceled.
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