Koepka: “It’s going to be awful without fans”

PGA Tour tournaments without fans? Brooks Koepka is, well, not a fan.

The PGA Tour announced Thursday that it is targeting a June 11 restart at Colonial, the first of four events scheduled to be played with no fans in attendance. A day earlier, Koepka went on “Pardon My Take” and was asked about playing without galleries.

“It’s going to be awful without fans,” Koepka said.

To be fair, Koepka explained why he felt that way. It’s not that he doesn’t think fan-less tournaments should happen, he just enjoys playing in front of crowds.

“The energy that the fans bring, that’s what we all live for, we all strive for; it’s going to be so weird,” Koepka said. “You want to play coming down the stretch and have everyone cheering for you. Imagine this: you sink the putt on the last hole and no one’s clapping. You’re just there by yourself, and you’re like ‘yes!’ Just you, your caddie and just silence.”

Koepka also predicted some higher scores. Without fans, there’s no need for grandstands (so long, grandstanding) and there are also fewer eyeballs to search for wayward shots.

“Every once in a while, we just hit some foul balls and the fans kind of help you find it,” Koepka said. “I mean, guys are going to lose balls because of that.”

Currently, the RBC Heritage, Travelers Championship and Rocket Mortgage Classic are set to join the Charles Schwab Challenge in not allowing fans. That would make the John Deere Classic on July 9-12 as the first event back with fans, though the Tour “will continue to monitor the situation and follow the recommendations of local and state authorities.”

creds: Golf Channel