The tens of thousands of people that descend on Jackson each year for the Sanderson Farms Championship will have to watch the golf tournament on TV.
Century Club Charities just announced that the tournament will be played this year sans spectators, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The event is slated for September 24 to October 4. It typically draws thousands of people to the Country Club of Jackson, and has a multimillion-dollar impact on the metro area's economy.
News comes as other tournaments on the PGA Tour are also played without fans, and as social distancing and capacity guidelines remain in place.
Currently, the state limits stadiums to 25 percent capacity. Through at least August 17, outdoor social gatherings are limited to 20 people, and they must maintain six feet of distance. Meanwhile, restaurants are limited to a 50 percent capacity for dine-in services.
“As we have said from the start, our No. 1 priority remains the health and safety of everyone in the communities where we are invited guests each week,” said PGA TOUR Chief Tournaments and Competitions Officer Andy Pazder in a Monday news release.
“We appreciate the cooperation of the Sanderson Farms Corporate staff, the Sanderson Farms Championship staff, the Century Club Charities organization, The Country Club of Jackson, and – of course – the fans of central Mississippi for understanding why collectively we had to make this decision. We remain very excited to present the Sanderson Farms Championship to a global audience as one of the first events of the 2020-21 FedExCup Season.
“While everyone involved is disappointed this is the direction we have to go, our team is still upbeat about the opportunity to host an outstanding tournament for the world’s best golf professionals, while showcasing the Sanderson Farms Championship and the beautiful course at The Country Club of Jackson to the rest of the world through the Golf Channel broadcast," said Sanderson Farms Championship Executive Director Steve Jent. "This decision to play without spectators is the right call, given the circumstances, for the protection of everyone involved. I am extremely proud of our tournament staff and volunteers, and appreciate the way Sanderson Farms, the PGA TOUR, The Country Club of Jackson, the City of Jackson, and the State of Mississippi have worked with us during these unprecedented times.”
Meanwhile, it was unclear if the event's Pro-Am tournament would go forward. That event typically runs the first days of the tournament, and was slated for September 28 through 30th this year.
"We are still hoping to have our Pro-Ams, but it is a fluid situation based on the COVID-19 environment," said Jent. "If we do get the go-ahead, the Pro-Ams will not be open to the public, and full health and safety precautions will be in place for players and amateurs alike.” Virtually, all other tournament-related events have been postponed until 2021, including all onsite hospitality, luncheons, parties, and fan events.
“Despite the difficult decisions necessitated by the COVID-19-related precautions, Century Club Charities remains committed to helping the Mississippi charities that depend on the tournament to support their annual operations,” said Pat Busby, Century Club Charities President. “Charitable organizations nationwide are experiencing unprecedented demand on their services as the pandemic takes an economic and emotional toll on individuals and families. Mississippi is no different. We sincerely appreciate the support of Sanderson Farms, tournament sponsors, fans, volunteers, vendors, players, caddies, The Country Club of Jackson, and Century Club members throughout this process. We still hope to have a very positive impact on Friends of Children's Hospital and other Mississippi charities in 2020, despite the COVID-19 pandemic.”
“The Sanderson Farms Championship is able to provide tremendous charitable impact because of the caring people who support it through giving their time, talent, and resources,” said Joe F. Sanderson, Jr., Sanderson Farms CEO and Chairman of the Board. “While there will be no spectators this year, we know our community will continue to rally around this tournament in new ways. Everyone has been impacted by this pandemic; however, Mississippians know about resiliency and how to come together to support one another. While this may be different, it certainly will not define us or the incredible things we can do together."
An extensive health and safety plan for screening and testing will be in place including a mandatory health questionnaire and temperature readings for everyone onsite each day, as well as COVID-19 testing for players, caddies, and personnel working in specific areas. In addition, the tournament will implement enhanced cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting practices in all areas of tournament operations in accordance with state and local guidelines.
A screen shot of the announcement was posted on the championship's website August 10. A copy of it is shown below:
