As the European Tour resumes in full tournament form, comparisons with its equivalent in the United States are inevitable. A bio-secure bubble surrounds the British Masters, which begins at Close House on Wednesday, with restrictions noticeably tighter than those implemented by the PGA Tour.
Eddie Pepperell resisted any temptation to pass comment on the PGA Tour’s processes - which recently included deployment of a three-ball who had all tested positive for Covid-19 - but the Englishman did admit he has no desire to feature in the upcoming US PGA Championship or US Open. Pepperell is eligible for both but quarantine rules for those entering the United States mean the 29-year-old is happy to compete in Europe for the time being. The US PGA takes place at Harding Park in San Francisco from August 6th with the US Open in New York the following month.
“Under the current restrictions on travelling to America, I won’t go because you have to quarantine for two weeks going out there and that’s not something I am interested in doing,” said Pepperell. “I am still on the entry list in case they change the rules, but I am not interested in spending two weeks in quarantine.
“Some players have clearly gone out there and not abided by the rules, but should I play this event there is no way that I can do that if there is anyone that cares to look at it, they would know I have broken the rules and I am not going to do that. The fact that it is in San Francisco and it is so far away I am not that interested in taking a 12-hour flight, that is way down on the list of priorities.”
In communication sent to players last week Keith Pelley, the European Tour’s chief executive, stressed a “need to remain vigilant in all areas”. Only essential personnel are allowed on site at Close House, where Paul Dunne, Cormac Sharvin and Jonathan Caldwell are in the field, and Pepperell is sure public health guidance will be followed. “Everyone will . . . not embrace it, but they will adhere to the rules,” he said. “I don’t see any rule-breaking going on. All the players respect the necessity to adhere to the rules this week and beyond.
“It will be challenging, I won’t lie. About a week ago I thought I knew what to expect and then a few days ago we got an email talking about even stricter regulations where we can only effectively spend time with one person and it has to be the same person. In my instance it’s my caddie and although I like him when you’re having dinner and spending time with the same person day in and day out, after a period of time that will become more of a challenge.
“I totally understand where the Tour are at, they really have no choice, although interestingly I do as an individual. I’m planning on playing this week and next week, seeing how I find it all and making a decision from there.” - Guardian
