The 2021 Cologuard Classic is about a month away, and it’s still not clear how many spectators will be allowed to attend the annual PGA Tour Champions event at Omni Tucson National Resort.
No matter the number, the tournament and its sponsor’s spokesman are determined to get the message out about early screening for colorectal cancer.
“It’s something that’s so important to me,” Champions Tour pro and Cologuard ambassador Jerry Kelly said Wednesday. “It’s just one of those things that unfortunately has hit home.”
Kelly lost two friends to colon cancer last year. Both were 48 years old when the cancer was detected. One was Dina Golas, who played in the Cologuard Classic pro-am with Kelly and Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The other was Rob Andringa, a former hockey player, coach and broadcaster from Madison, Wisconsin, Kelly’s hometown.
Dina Golas, center, played with NFL superstar Aaron Rodgers, left, and PGA Tour Champions golfer Jerry Kelly in the 2019 Cologuard Classic pro-am.
“It’s hard,” Kelly said. “He was a friend of mine with no family history who was waiting till he was 50 years old to get tested, and he hit stage 4 at 48.
“This is what we’re here for. This is what the tournament is all about. We need to stop these stories from happening.”
To raise awareness — regardless of on-site attendance at the Feb. 26-28 event — tournament organizers are launching some new initiatives. All 81 players in the field will compete on behalf of a colorectal cancer patient, survivor or caregiver. In addition, the Tucson Conquistadores are offering an “am-am” event on the Monday of tournament week. Competitors will compete for the “Caboose Cup.” Proceeds will go toward supporting local charities and “promoting and making colon-cancer screening available for those less fortunate and uninsured,” tournament chairman Dennis Caldwell said.
The Cologuard Classic also will hold its usual pro-am events on Wednesday and Thursday, Feb. 24-25. All participants will be required to take a test for COVID-19 the day before their tee time.
Fans also will be required to abide by COVID-19 safety protocols. How many will be on site is still being determined.
Caldwell said the Conquistadores are working closely with Pima County and the PGA Tour Champions to figure out what will work.
“Our top priority is to provide a healthy and safe environment,” Caldwell said. “Pima County health officials have requested that spectators be extremely limited. However, due to the outdoor nature of the golf tournament, with spectators spread across 150-plus acres, it is certainly conducive to social distancing.
“At this point, I’m not allowed to really elaborate on any percentages or attendance levels. We’re still working with Pima County and trying to identify what that looks like.”
Caldwell said more probably would be known in the next 7-10 days. The Cologuard Classic typically draws more than 40,000 fans annually.
Chip shots
- More than 70 players already have committed to playing in the Cologuard Classic. They include Kelly, a seven-time winner on the Champions Tour; defending champion Bernhard Langer; and Darren Clarke, who has won his past two Champions Tour starts, including last week’s Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai.
- Former University of Arizona star Jim Furyk, who joined the PGA Tour Champions last summer, likely will make his Cologuard Classic debut this year — although that wasn’t official as of Wednesday. “We’ve gotten essentially a verbal commitment, but nothing in writing at this point in time,” said Caldwell, who spoke to Furyk at the Charles Schwab Cup Championship in Phoenix in November.
- Caldwell said he’s “hoping” Phil Mickelson also will participate in his first Cologuard Classic. Mickelson played in two PGA Tour Champions events as a rookie last year and won them both. He’s still active on the PGA Tour. Two events coincide with the Cologuard Classic: the PGA Tour’s Puerto Rico Open and the World Golf Championships at The Concession in Bradenton, Florida. Mickelson might not qualify for the latter as he is ranked outside the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking.
