The state of Minnesota has denied the 3M Open’s petition to host fans on-site at TPC Twin Cities in Blaine, a suburb north of Minneapolis. The new PGA Tour event, only in its second season, will now be contested with empty galleries throughout the weekend of July 23-26.
According to a report in the Minnesota Business Journal, capacity will be limited to 1,200 people per day, which includes players, caddies, staff, media and other essential personnel.
The Memorial Tournament in Dublin, Ohio, scheduled the week prior to the 3M Open, has received approval by the state for 8,000 spectators per day.
The 2020 #3MOpen will be conducted July 23-26 as a TV-only event, with no fans on-site. Individual ticket purchases made via Ticketmaster will be automatically refunded within the next 30 days. Volunteers will be emailed with updates. Visit https://t.co/njpZURu2cM for more info. pic.twitter.com/1Yi1Y7OCSc
— 3M Open (@3MOpen) June 15, 2020
The Star Tribune is reporting that 3M Open organizers had hoped to win approval for small galleries up to 6,000 total. The tournament’s Executive Director, Hollis Cavner, said they were “very disappointed” in the ruling by state officials, but praised 3M and the PGA Tour for keeping the event in Minnesota nonetheless. (The PGA Tour considered contesting the event in the free state of Florida.)
The news from Minnesota follows the cancellation of the John Deere Classic, outright, after the state of Illinois denied the tournament’s petition to host fans. Additionally, the City of San Francisco has reportedly banned fans from attending the PGA Championship in early August at Harding Park.
Initially, the PGA Tour announced they would play the first three events (June) without fans to fine tune their new safety protocols. But Michigan officials squashed any hope for fans at the Rocket Mortgage stop in in early July, followed by the Illinois decision regarding the John Deere Classic.
As of now, the only scheduled event with fans is the Memorial in Ohio.
Post COVID-19 2020 Schedule (Updated)
Jun 11-14 – Charles Schwab Challenge, TX
Jun 18-21 – RBC Heritage, SC
Jun 25-28 – Travelers Championship, CT
Jul 02-05 – Rocket Mortgage Classic, MI
Jul 09-12 – Workday Charity Open, OH
Jul 16-19 – the Memorial, OH
Jul 23-26 – 3M Open, MN
Jul 30-02 – WGC-FedEx St Jude, TN
Jul 30-02 – Barracuda Champ, CA
Aug 06-09 – PGA Championship, CA
Aug 13-16 – Wyndham Championship, NC
Aug 20-23 – Northern Trust, MA
Aug 27-30 – BMW Championship, IL
Sep 04-07 – Tour Championship, GA
Sep 17-20 – U.S. Open, NY
Sep 25-27 – Ryder Cup, WI
Nov 12-15 – Masters, GA
