© Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy. Around 5,000 people per day will be allowed at TPC Scottsdale, with 2,000 permitted around the famous par-three 16th at any one time.
Those figures are way down on the 16,000 usually creating a raucous atmosphere at the 16th or the overall attendance record of 719,179 in 2019, but McIlroy feels it is a welcome step as golf continues to deal with the coronavirus pandemic.
"I'm looking forward to welcoming fans back," McIlroy said. "It's going to be gradual, I don't think anything's going to be at capacity or 100 per cent for a while, but the fact that Phoenix is going to have 5,000. I think it's a good thing.
"Sometimes you have a pin that's tucked behind a bunker or something, you can't see the bottom of it and you think you've hit a good shot but you have no idea where the ball is.
"It will actually be nice to just have a reaction, to get a clap or not get a clap or whatever, so that will be nice."
McIlroy admitted he struggled to deal with the lack of spectators when tournaments resumed behind closed doors.
"I think sometimes the most difficult thing for me without having fans is just sometimes it just felt so casual.
"You're just out there playing and it's sort of just like playing a practice round.
"That's been the thing that I've had to get used to."
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