Report: Local WGC stop possibly moving to the end of July
Brooks Koepka lines up a putt on the 17th green during the third round of tournament play at the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational at Southwind on July 27, 2019. (Jim Weber/Daily Memphian file)
A shuffling of the PGA Tour’s weekly schedule due to coronavirus has potentially moved the World Golf Championships-FedEx St. Jude Invitational to the weekend of July 30-Aug 2, according to a report in Golf Digest.
The new dates at TPC Southwind would be four weeks later than the previous schedule where the local Tour stop was on Fourth of July weekend – July 2-5. There was no immediate information on whether fans would be allowed at Southwind for the tournament.
That would seem to depend on the status of the constantly changing pandemic, along with the recommendations of health experts and local officials.
A source close to the Tour confirmed that there are discussions regarding a shuffling of dates, but could not comment on whether the Memphis tournament will be held spanning the end of July and the first of August.
Brooks Koepka won the revamped local tournament last year – its first as a WGC event – with a 16-under 264, three shots better than Webb Simpson.
The ongoing concern over the coronavirus and the suspension of all major sports caused the change in dates. The British Open already has canceled for this year as are the Olympics.
If the PGA stays with the reported schedule, the new weekend for the local tournament would be in the time previously slotted for the Olympics and will occur a week before a potential date for the PGA Championship at the TPC-Harding Park in San Francisco.
Under the proposed schedule, the Tour would resume play the weekend of June 11-14 with the Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas.
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World Golf Championships-FedEx St. Jude Invitational TPC Southwind Brooks KoepkaClay Bailey
Clay Bailey, a lifelong Memphian, has worked as a reporter in the city four decades. He concentrated on suburban coverage for the bulk of his career, except for a stint as sports editor of The Daily Memphian when it launched in September 2018. He now is suburban editor and also serves as a freelance sports writer for The Associated Press.
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