THE recent duel between Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, paired with football icons Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, might have sparked imminent resurrection for big time events.
Frozen since March due to the coronavirus pandemic, tournaments all around the world both big and small could resume soon, owing to the smashing success of that May match.
No fans. Just a handful of golf officials overseeing the competition.
No caddies. Just a few hands manning television coverage.
No locker room visit after the competition. After holing out, players went straight home.
Protocols for safety and health issues were strictly in check, specifically physical distancing.
Woods & Co. didn’t wear surgical masks to avoid distraction, or getting stymied. However, they maintained their distance to the hilt.
The four players had a golf cart each, giving the virus nil and none chances to infect.
Woods and Manning salvaged a 1-up win in the charity contest over 18 holes in Florida’s Medalist Club. The Match netted a whopping $20 million for Covid-19 relief funds. A shot for humanity, indeed.
Don’t look now but big time tennis could be next.
Wire reporter Howard Fendich of AP wrote: “Charter flights to ferry US Open tennis players and limited entourages from Europe, South America and the Middle East to New York. Negative Covid-19 tests before travelling. Centralized housing. Daily temperature checks. No spectators. Fewer on-court officials. No locker-room access on practice days.”
Those are the scenarious being considered for the 2020 US Open from Stacey Allaster, the US Tennis Association top gun.
Allaster said a decision will be made from “mid-June to end of June” for a US Open set in either July or August, after the French Open was postponed from May to September. Already, the Wimbledon was canceled for the fist time since 1945.
When the fan-less US Open is finally on, adults will also replace kids as ballboys for health reasons?
Fine. For as long as the event’s on TV like last month’s The Match, no problem. I will watch-from-home again by way of covering it. Piece of cake.