Do players have a legitimate gripe against the British Open COVID-19 protocols?
You might have missed the news that Kevin Na has withdrawn from the British Open this coming week. Na didnt withdraw because of an injury or the need for a rest during a busy summer or the idea that he just wont play well on a British Open course. In truth, Na didnt really specify a reason, but it is generally believed he is the latest player to withdraw over COVID-19 travel restrictions in place for players wanting to play in the oldest of the major championships. For all of the return to normalcy in the sports world, specifically golf, in recent months, the British Open is showing that normal can still be further down the road. That idea was reinforced this week when the organizers of the Tokyo Olympics backtracked and said that no fans will be allowed at the events in and around Tokyo. Earlier it was announced that as many as 10,000 fans would be allowed at venues, but a small surge in COVID-19 in the area has caused organizers to change their minds. More:Desert's oldest 18-hole golf course getting major renovations over next two years  More:Women's Open at Olympic Club another step in the right direction for golf  What is irritating many golfers  almost all of them will play in the British Open despite the issues  is that organizers are going to allow as many as 32,000 fans on the Royal St. George course for the championship. But the players and their caddies will still be under protocols that some golfers have said are too strict given the idea that so many of the players are now fully vaccinated. Yeah, there's definitely some concerns, said Rickie Fowler to Golf Digest. It would be easy to listen to that kind of talk and see the players who are complaining as entitled, a bit spoiled and perhaps a little tone deaf when it comes to the pandemic that has hammered the world for the last year and a half. Everyone should be thinking about safety and health, especially on the PGA Tour where Jon Rahm was kicked out of the Memorial tournament when he was leading by six shots last month because of a positive COVID-19 test and where Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama had to withdraw from the John Deere Classic just last week for testing positive. But there might be a legitimacy to the complaint, even though the golfers arent likely to boycott the major championship. Athletes are like other people in that they just want to go back to the rules and the procedures that they have followed for most of their careers. With the world opening up and fans being allowed back on golf courses and other sports venues, the players want to get back to their own normal. While the players might grouse about protocols, dont expect too many to skip the chance to play in a major championship. If the players truly dont like the bubble concept and the travel restrictions, they can certainly miss the British Open and just plan on playing the event next year. But the idea of two sets of rules, one for fans and one for players, and the idea that Olympians will be winning gold, silver and bronze medals in front of empty grandstands shows that a return to normal, to the pre-pandemic world, is still a long, long way away. Larry Bohannan is The Desert Sun golf writer, he can be reached at larry.bohannan@desertsun.com of (760) 778-4633. Follow him on Facebook or on Twitter at @larry_Bohannan. Support local journalism. Subscribe to The Desert Sun.