The LPGA joined the fray, postponing tournaments scheduled through the end of April and pushing the ANA Inspiration, its first major of the season, to September. The Cactus and Outlaw tours have pushed on in Arizona, which has among the fewest coronavirus cases in the United States with around 64. FILE – In this Friday, May 31, 2019 file photo, Anna Nordqvist of Sweden, watches her ball on the 13th tee during the second round of the U.S. Women’s Open golf tournament in Charleston, S.C.
Anna Nordqvist drained a birdie putt on second playoff hole. The title in hand, the two-time major champion turned to playing partner Lisa Pettersson and hesitated. The major golf tours may have shut down during the coronavirus outbreak, but a handful of mini tours are playing through. (AP Photo/Steve Helber, File) The Outlaw Tour, a men’s tour with events across the Phoenix area, held a three-day tournament this week at Western Skies Golf Course in Gilbert.
Jared de Toit, a PGA Tour Latinoamerica player, shot a final-round 59 on Thursday, but lost in a playoff to fellow Canadian Wil Bateman. Nordqvist shot a final-round 66 at Moon Valley to tie Pettersson and won it with a roughly 12-foot birdie putt on the second playoff hole. England’s Holly Clyburn also won an Eggland’s Best Tour event in Lake Mary, Florida, this week. “It’s definitely strange, but we’re taking precautions,” Pettersson said. The Cactus Tour’s Moon Valley stop featured a limited field of 27 players and had preventative measures in place to protect from the coronavirus.
All carts were sanitized before each of the three rounds and those players who didn’t walk were limited to one per cart. The players were asked to space out on the course to follow social distancing guidelines and the post-round hugs often found in women’s golf were replaced by waves – and one last high-elbow. Even the group photo at the end had social distancing; Cactus Tour director Mike Brown had the players stand arm’s length apart before taking the picture.
“We followed all the guidelines,” Brown said. “It’s safer for them for a chance of getting something doing what I did because they’re all individuals, not cramming into a golf cart right next how to life hacks someone.