Inside the P.G.A. Tour Bubble, Silent Fairways and Mounting Cases

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CROMWELL, Conn. — When Sergio Garcia sank his final putt Thursday on an 18th green enveloped by a natural amphitheater customarily filled with thousands of fans, the golf ball’s rattle around inside the hole could be heard from 30 yards away. A minute later, as Garcia ascended a hill, the only sound was his pencil scratching a last number on a scorecard.

The PGA Tour’s officials have said they are proud to be at the vanguard of major American sports returning to competition after the coronavirus shut down athletic events nationwide. But on Thursday at the Travelers Championship — the third fan-free event in the tour’s comeback — the noiselessness was an eerie contrast to…