Coronavirus: How will golf’s major schedule look when sport returns?
Written by News on 03/04/2020
The Masters could be played in November and The Open a week before the Ryder Cup as part of a revised golfing calendar for the 2020 season, according to reports in America.
Golfweek report that golf’s governing bodies are close to making a joint announcement on when the majors will be held, with the aim of playing three or four majors and the Ryder Cup in a 15-week stretch.
The R&A have yet to move The Open from its original July 16-19 date and released a statement on Thursday confirming that the event hasn’t been cancelled, although the report indicates that the tournament could now be held at Royal St George’s from September 17-20.
Should The Open not go ahead, the US Open – which has yet to be postponed in June – could take that vacant week and stay at Winged Foot in New York, a week before the Ryder Cup is due to be held at Whistling Straits, or be rescheduled later in the year at a different location.
Craig Annis, the USGA’s chief brand officer, told Golfweek: “Depending on how far out we might have to go it could mean that we need to find a new location.
“If we get beyond September we would need to find a U.S. Open-ready course in a place with the right climate and agronomics, with consideration to available daylight hours.”
If The Open doesn’t stay in July, then the major season is provisionally expected to begin with the PGA Championship – which is understood to be rescheduled for August 6-9 – with the PGA Tour’s Wyndham Championship and three FedExCup play-offs then being pushed back a week.
The changes would make the Masters – traditional the first major of the year – the last, with the report indicating that Tiger Woods’ defence would now take place from November 12-15.
The global golfing schedule has been decimated by the COVID-19 outbreak, with the earliest possible return date on the PGA Tour being May 21 and from June 4-7 on the European Tour.
(c) Sky Sports 2020: Coronavirus: How will golf’s major schedule look when sport returns?
