Pebble Beach scraps multi-day pro-am format because of virus concerns

More changes are coming to the PGA Tour’s West Coast Swing.

The Tour announced Thursday that the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am will not feature its traditional multi-day pro-am format because of “local COVID-19 circumstances in the Monterey Peninsula.” As a result, the Feb. 11-14 event will be contested on two courses instead of three: Pebble Beach Golf Links and Spyglass Hill.

“While we will truly miss watching the actors, musicians, athletes and other amateur participants that make this event so special, we are pleased to continue on with the professional competition,” said tournament director Steve John.

Thursday’s news comes after the tournament, which will celebrate its 75^th anniversary this year, had already announced it would not permit spectators. The other three California events on the West Coast Swing – next week’s American Express in Palm Springs, Farmers Insurance Open in San Diego and Genesis Invitational in Los Angeles – also will not allow fans to attend.

The American Express, which also features a multi-day pro-am format, will not host amateurs, either. But the event along with the Pebble Beach event will conduct Wednesday pro-ams not a part of the competition.

The Phoenix Open, which will have fans in attendance, recently scaled back the daily spectator allowance, from 8,000 to fewer than 5,000.