Three majors and the Ryder Cup on as golf scrambles to find fresh dates

By Rahul Banerji

Right now, it is difficult to spot any sort of a horizon with the corona-virus wreaking havoc everywhere, but there is a world out there holding its breath. For one, the Ryder Cup is on.

Plenty of thinking has clearly been going on in committee meeting rooms everywhere, desperately juggling schedules and hoping to bring some sort of order back when normalcy starts to return.

The billion-plus dollar PGA Tour went silent in the middle of March but talk about a resumed schedule by mid-June had started doing the rounds.

The European Tour has targeted May-end for a restart, but the situation is so fluid, and international travel almost at a complete halt, so this is just tentative thinking at the moment.

So far, only the Ladies PGA Tour has decided to extend its season to the end of the year with the US Women’s Open, originally slotted for June 1 to 7, now moved to a December 7 to 13 slot.

Major move

In a major development, however, major stakeholders in the game –Augusta National Golf Club, European Tour, PGA Tour, the PGA of America, the R&A and USGA – have set a tentative schedule that sees the Ryder Cup and three of four Majors being played in calendar 2020.

In a joint statement on Monday, the organisations 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 organization 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.

“We want to reiterate that Augusta National Golf Club, European Tour, LPGA, PGA of America, PGA TOUR, The R&A and USGA collectively value the health and well-being of everyone, within the game of golf and beyond, above all else. We encourage everyone to follow all responsible precautions and make effort to remain healthy and safe.”

New dates

The US Open at Winged Foot GC in New York state originally to be played from June 15 to 21 has now been officially rescheduled for September 14 to 20 at the same venue.

The July 12 to 19 edition of The Open has been dropped and will now be held in 2021 at the Royal St Georges course, the R&A has said.

According to the PGA of America, the PGA Championship is now scheduled to take place August 3 to 9 and will remain at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco, California. 

The PGA Championship was originally slated for May 11 to 17 but was first postponed on March 17.

The PGA also reconfirmed that the Ryder Cup will be played as originally scheduled from September 22 to 27, at Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wisconsin. 

Also read: Golf in the neighbourhood: Some glimmers of hope emerge