Golf ‘bubbles’ its way out of inactivity with 2 events

Shelved for eight months because of the coronavirus pandemic, golf is ready for its reawakening.

The Philippine Golf Tour resumes with a two-tournament bubble for the men’s and ladies circuits, with the aim of providing opportunities for professionals and to show that the sport can provide a safe haven for athletes in the time of COVID-19.

“The management of Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc. (PGTI) has studied the possibility of scheduling two tournaments to end the year and presented our COVID-19 protocols and new guidelines to the Games and Amusements Board and interagency task force for their approval,” said PGTI general manager Colo Ventosa.

One tournament will run from Nov. 17 to 20 while the other will take place from Dec. 8 to 11. They will be played at the Couples and Langer courses of Riviera in Silang, Cavite province.

A memo was sent to all the players over the weekend, outlining and detailing the various protocols to be implemented during the two-tournament run.

This includes mandatory tests, daily temperature checks and filling out of health questionnaires. Registration is ongoing and will run until Nov. 10, with officials expecting 78 participants.

“The fight against this virus is not over, so we shouldn’t keep our guards down,” Ventosa said.