Upheaval THREE OF THE FOUR MEN’S MAJORS AND THE RYDER CUP ARE STILL ON…FOR NOW.
he open championship’s continuous run since the end of WWII in 1946 has been broken, the Olympic Games golf tournaments likewise delayed 12 months. The schedules of the game’s leading tours, meanwhile, remain very much a work in progress as the full impact of the coronavirus pandemic presents itself to the golf world. But where there is hope, there is a will to see the majority of the big events played in 2020, without spectators if need be. ▶ “In recent weeks, the global golf community has come together to collectively put forward a calendar of events that will, we hope, serve to entertain and inspire golf fans around the world,” Augusta National G.C., the European Tour, LPGA, PGA of America, PGA Tour, The R&A and USGA said in a joint statement April 6. “We are grateful to our respective partners, sponsors and players, who have allowed us to make decisions – some of them, very tough decisions – in order to move the game and the industry forward.” ▶ With that, we look at what the remainder of 2020 might look like for the game’s elite events and tours. —kent gray 22 golfdigestme.com | may 2020
cancelled 149th Open Championship July 2020 Royal St. George’s G.C. Sandwich, Kent, England “We care deeply about this historic Championship and have made this decision with a heavy heart. We appreciate that this will be disappointing for a great many people around the world but we have to act responsibly during this pandemic and it is the right thing to do. I can assure everyone that we have explored every option for playing The Open this year but it is not going to be possible.” – r&a chief executive martin slumbers The 149th Open will still be played at Royal St George’s but now from July 15-18 next year. The 150th edition will be played at St. Andrews from July 14-17, 2022.
