There will be no Open Championship in 2020 after the British golf major was cancelled due to the coronavirus Covid-19 pandemic.
The 149th Open was scheduled for 12-19 July, but The R&A has announced that it will now next take place at Royal St George’s from 11-18 July 2021. The 150th Open will be played at St Andrews from 10-17 July 2022.
Martin Slumbers, chief executive of The R&A, said: “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 this pandemic is severely affecting the UK and we have to act responsibly. 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.
“There are many different considerations that go into organising a major sporting event of this scale. We rely on the support of the emergency services, local authorities and a range of other organisations to stage the Championship and it would be unreasonable to place any additional demands on them when they have far more urgent priorities to deal with.”
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Major date changes for 2020
The Open is off the calendar for 2020 but the three other major championships are still planned to be held this year.
The PGA Championship is scheduled for August, the US Open is set for September and The Masters is planned for November. The 2020 Ryder Cup also stays on the schedule for September.
- PGA Championship: 3-9 August (TPC Harding Park, San Francisco, California)
- US Open: 14-20 September (Winged Foot Golf Club, Mamaroneck, New York)
- Ryder Cup: 22-27 September (Whistling Straits, Kohler, Wisconsin)
- The Masters: 9-15 November (Augusta National Golf Club, Georgia)
In a joint statement the Augusta National Golf Club, European Tour, LPGA, PGA of America, PGA TOUR, The R&A and USGA said: “This is a difficult and challenging time for everyone coping with the effects of this pandemic. We remain very mindful of the obstacles ahead, and each organisation will continue to follow the guidance of the leading public health authorities, conducting competitions only if it is safe and responsible to do so.
“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. 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.”
Main image: EuropeanTour.com