County Two-Man, ppd.
- Updated: March 20, 2020
First event of the Calhoun County Golf Tour season at Silver Lakes shelved due to coronavirus impact
By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today
The first event of the 2020 Calhoun County Golf Tour season has been postponed out of an abundance of caution over the coronavirus outbreak.
County Tour director Jeremy McGatha confirmed the postponement of the Calhoun County Two-Man Championship after conferring with Silver Lakes director of golf Jason Callan.
“Our status prior to today was if the course is open we’re going to try to have the tournament,” McGatha said. “Jason called me today and we decided the course may still be open, but with everything going on and trying to tell people to stay at home we just feel it’s best to postpone for now.”
The tournament was scheduled for April 4-5. No make-up date has been determined. Refunds will be made to any players who registered in advance.
Tour officials will follow the guidance of state officials in determining when play can resume. The schools in Alabama are closed until at least April 6 to mitigate the spread of the virus and their determination will be a factor in when the golf season gets underway. Federal officials are recommending a moratorium on gatherings of 10 or more people for the next two weeks and practicing social distancing within six feet whenever people meet.
Silver Lakes, meanwhile, remains in operation but is taking precautions such as, but not limited to, no raking of bunkers, no water coolers and suggesting one player per cart when applicable.
The next event on the County Tour schedule is the Cane Creek Championship April 18-19, but that’s in jeopardy as well.
“The whole month of April may be out,” McGatha said. “I’m going to remain optimistic that we will have golf this year in our county.”
If that holds, the first Tour event would be the Oxford City Championship May 2-3. Cider Ridge director of golf Lee Shurden said earlier this week if the course was open they would play.
The Tour schedule is designed in a way there could be an opportunity to reschedule any lost events, but they would squeeze the calendar. McGatha is adamant the final for-points event of the season will be the 84thCalhoun County Championship – even if it’s played in the fall.
“I think with what’s going on in this world some would be willing to go back-to-back-to-back to play some golf,” McGatha said. “To have a good flowing schedule we tried not to do back-to-back stuff, but this is unique. If we did, I think people would still try to support it.”
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