Boise Open, a pro golf mainstay, to be played in August at Hillcrest — with a key twist
Pro golf has been back for a few weeks in a summer that’s seen the coronavirus pandemic rock the world of sports, preventing baseball from being played at all and forcing the NBA and NHL seasons into what has been a long hiatus.
But the PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour events that returned have had an eerie feel to them, with no fans lining fairways or surrounding greens.
That same feeling will be found at Hillcrest Country Club in Boise next month when it once again hosts the Albertsons Boise Open, a staple on what is now the Korn Ferry Tour (formerly known as Nike, Nationwide and Web.com, among others).
A press release emailed Thursday evening said that the event will be played as scheduled Aug. 13-16 — but it will be staged without spectators in attendance because of the virus.
“It is unfortunate that we will not be able to host our loyal and passionate fans for this year’s event, but the well-being of the Boise and Treasure Valley communities has remained of utmost importance throughout the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Boise Open Executive Director Jeff Sanders in the release. “The PGA Tour and the Albertsons Boise Open will continue to work directly with local, state and federal government agencies to ensure the health and safety of the players, caddies, volunteers and essential personnel who are allowed onsite during tournament week.”
Sanders went on to say that with the tournament fast approaching, “it became readily apparent that conducting the 2020 event with fans would not be a possibility in this ever-changing climate.”
Ada County recently went backward in Idaho’s stages of reopening because of a surge in cases of COVID-19. Central District Health moved the county back to Stage 3, limiting the size of gatherings and closing bars, and Boise Mayor Lauren McLean on Thursday issued an order mandating that masks be worn both inside and outdoors to try to halt the spread of the virus.
The Boise Open was one of four events staged in the tour’s inaugural season, when it was called the Ben Hogan Tour. That was 1990.
Last year’s tournament was won by Matthew NeSmith, who shot a final-round 64 and made birdie on the final hole to finish at 19 under. Past winners of the event include Tim Clark, Jason Gore, Kevin Stadler, Hunter Haas, Jason Kokrak and Kevin Tway.
All four rounds of this year’s Boise Open will be broadcast on Golf Channel.
This week’s Korn Ferry event, the TPC Colorado Championship, saw three pros withdraw after testing positive for COVID-19.
This story was originally published July 2, 2020 at 7:07 PM.