Usually at this time, we’d be celebrating a holiday among golf fans: Masters week. It’s the first of four majors in golf every year and usually kick starts the golf calendar for a lot of us.
But that’s obviously not the case this year.
Professional sports have been gone for what seems like a very long time. A very good reason, of course, the public health and safety at a premium. We’ve been looking for a light at the end of the tunnel, a sign that a return to “normal” is not that far off.
BREAKING: As @GolfDigest reported last week, British Open is canceled, formally expected today. Other announcements:
— Joel Beall (@JoelMBeall) April 6, 2020
Tour will begin mid June, with no fans, at Memorial
PGA Champ Aug 6; Ryder Cup Sept 25
US Open Sept 17
Masters to Nov
The majors were all but postponed, but there were rumors about when they would return. Golf Digest’s Joel Beall reported Monday morning that golf will return at the Memorial in June. This is the first sign that sports are slowly getting back to normal. It won’t be a normal week in Dublin, Ohio at Jack Nicklaus’ tournament, however, this will be played with no spectators.
It is with a heavy heart that we have to cancel The Open for the first time since WWII. We appreciate that this will be disappointing for a great many people but we have to act responsibly during this pandemic and it is the right thing to do.
— The Open (@TheOpen) April 6, 2020
Statement: https://t.co/brJfuOZSFP pic.twitter.com/iizOupOk4m
The other piece of information within the news from golf’s governing bodies was that The Open Championship is fully canceled. That means if you were planning on going to St. Andrews in 2021, that’s postponed one year and they’ll play it at Royal St. George’s in 2021 instead.
We have new dates for the 2020 PGA Championship, provided we have clearance from public health authorities. #PGAChamp pic.twitter.com/pfFDeDUoHh
— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) April 6, 2020
The 120th U.S. Open has been postponed and is now rescheduled for Sept. 17-20, 2020, at Winged Foot Golf Club.
— USGA (@USGA) April 6, 2020
That means the season’s first and second majors will take place in San Francisco and upstate New York, two of the current hotspots of the coronavirus outbreak.
And what’s normally reserved for the season’s first major? It’ll be played last in the second week of November. Is Augusta, Georgia warm in November? Not particularly. While the azaleas won’t be in bloom, it’s an adjustment golf fans will have to live with.
How will they deal with college football AND the Masters on at once? Who knows. Many of us are excited to find out. Even if you’re not a golf fan, it’s got to be a bit exciting to at least have little bit of positive news in the sports world, and just the world in general.
