TPC 2021

This past weekend March 11-14, TPC Sawgrass hosted the golf tournament for its 47th year, but this year it was slightly different because of COVID-19. This year, only 20% capacity was allowed to attend the event, with only about 10,000 per day compared to its usual 36,000 a day.. Also, there was digital ticketing, contactless commerce and altered food and beverage protocols. TPC was also the biggest golf tournament that has allowed spectators since March 2020 due to the pandemic. 

 The way this event was carried out affected thousands of people, including those who  attended or wished to attend, and even the actual players. For those who attended, masks were mandatory and social distancing was highly recommended. This could’ve impacted how much they enjoyed the event. For those who wished they could have attended, there weren’t as many tickets available this year, so more people couldn’t go. This means that more people who wanted to go to the event had to just watch it from home and miss out on the experience as a whole. This could have been especially upsetting to those who attend almost every year. The Players themselves were most likely affected by the protocols as well. They probably noticed the smaller crowd size, which probably changed their atmosphere around them and could have even altered their performance. 

Justin Thomas from the United States won this year’s tournament, with Lee Westwood in second, and Brian Harman and Bryson DeChambeau tied in third.

More information:

https://www.pgatour.com/competition/2021/the-players-championship/leaderboard.html

https://www.bizjournals.com/jacksonville/news/2021/01/25/players-championship-2021-spectators.html