World Golf Championships in Memphis won't allow fans

For the second time this week, the PGA Tour reversed course regarding having fans at an event.

On Thursday, the Tour announced the 2020 World Golf Championships-FedEx St. Jude Invitational held at TPC Southwind in Memphis will occur July 30-Aug. 2 as scheduled but without spectators in attendance due to the worsening coronavirus pandemic.

In the official statement, WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational Executive Director Darrell Smith said:

“The well-being of everyone involved with the event and our community remains our top priority this year, and while we had developed a robust health and safety plan that would include limited spectators, we ultimately felt it was best to host the event without spectators this year.

"These decisions are never easy, and we would like to thank the city of Memphis, Shelby County, FedEx and the Tour for their collaboration. We are still very excited about showcasing the world’s best players and the City of Memphis to a global audience and continuing our mission of raising funds and awareness for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital through the event.”

Tickets will be automatically refunded. 

On Monday, the PGA confirmed that the Jack Nicklaus Memorial Tournament held at the Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio from July 16-19 will not allow fans to attend. It was previously hoped up to 8,000 spectators could be on the course during the tournament. 

The Ohio State University paused all voluntary student-athlete workouts on Wednesday following an unknown number of positive coronavirus test results. 

It's unknown if fans will be welcomed to any PGA tournament this summer.