The PGA Tour is making its big return since the state of the coronavirus pandemic. The Charles Schwab challenge kicks off Thursday without an audience in Fort Worth, Texas. PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan joins "Squawk Box" to discuss. PGA Tour golf returns on Thursday for the first time since mid-March, when the coronavirus outbreak halted sports around the globe. The top golfers in the world will tee off in Fort Worth, Texas at the Charles Schwab Challenge. Golf’s return may be good for the game at a time when most major sports on still on hiatus. With less competition from other sports, it could attract more viewers than it usually does. Just a few weeks ago, The Match II, which is not a PGA Tour event, was the most-watched golf event in cable television history. “We’re coming back in the heart of our season and you’re gonna see great fields in the weeks that follow,” PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan told CNBC’s Squawk Box. “It’s really a great moment for our sport as we’ve worked through the pandemic.” The commissioner said that the pent up demand for sports has also led to a surge in sports betting. “There’s over a $3 million pool from DraftKings,” he said. “I believe that’s the largest ever at any professional golf event. The PGA Tour returns with a packed schedule as it looks to salvage the season. It will host 14 tournaments over the next 13 weeks. While it’s welcome news for sports fans, the game will look a little different in a post-coronavirus world. The biggest change will be the absence of fans in the galleries. The first four tournaments will consist of players, caddies and essential personnel in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19. All will be tested on-site through Sanford Health, the PGA Tour said. Testing will be conducted in mobile labs and results will be available within hours. “The vast majority of players are already on site in Fort Worth, they’ve gone through the testing and it has gone exceedingly well,” Monahan said. “We’ve had 481 people that have been tested, and today we don’t have any positive tests.” Monahan said the good health of everyone involved in The PGA Tour should give communities confidence as it moves from market to market. Players will miss the fans in the meantime. For access to live and exclusive video from CNBC subscribe to CNBC PRO: https://cnb.cx/2JdMwO7 » Subscribe to CNBC TV: https://cnb.cx/SubscribeCNBCtelevision » Subscribe to CNBC: https://cnb.cx/SubscribeCNBC » Subscribe to CNBC Classic: https://cnb.cx/SubscribeCNBCclassic Turn to CNBC TV for the latest stock market news and analysis. From market futures to live price updates CNBC is the leader in business news worldwide. Connect with CNBC News Online Get the latest news: http://www.cnbc.com/ Follow CNBC on LinkedIn: https://cnb.cx/LinkedInCNBC Follow CNBC News on Facebook: https://cnb.cx/LikeCNBC Follow CNBC News on Twitter: https://cnb.cx/FollowCNBC Follow CNBC News on Instagram: https://cnb.cx/InstagramCNBC #CNBC #CNBC TV