PGA Tour expands fields for two tournaments, with more additions possibly on the way

When the PGA Tour will resume its season remains uncertain because tournaments through the AT&T Byron Nelson May 7-10 are canceled, and the PGA Championship originally scheduled for the following week is postponed. But when players do return they will do so to tournaments with larger fields.

To help make up for those lost starts, fields at the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas, scheduled for May 21-24, and the Memorial (June 4-7) at Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio, will increase from 120 players to 144, according to an email sent to players this week. It’s possible other tournaments would do the same, according to a source, with the memo explaining that it’s a “priority of the Tour and the Player Advisory Council to maximize additional playing opportunities this season.”

The tour also said in the email that its new pace of play policy, which was slated to begin at next month’s now-canceled RBC Heritage, will be pushed back to the beginning of next season.

So far, 11 events have been canceled or postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.