With “a heavy heart,” British Open officials announced the cancellation of the 2020 tournament, following in the footsteps of Wimbledon officials who canceled the tennis tournament because of the novel coronavirus pandemic.
The tournament was set to begin July 16 at Royal St. George’s Golf Club; Wimbledon had been scheduled for June 29 to July 12. The golf tournament last was canceled in 1945. It will be contested next year at Royal St. George’s.
“Our absolute priority is to protect the health and safety of the fans, players, officials, volunteers and staff involved in The Open,” Martin Slumbers, chief executive of the R&A, said in a statement. “We care deeply about this historic Championship and have made this decision with a heavy heart.”
Just as it has done with nearly every other sport, the coronavirus pandemic has scrambled golf’s calendar. The year’s other three majors have been rescheduled. The PGA Championship is now set for Aug. 6-9 at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco; the U.S. Open is Sept. 17-20 at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, N.Y.; and the Masters are Nov. 12-15 at Georgia’s Augusta National. And all PGA Tour tournaments have been canceled through mid-May.
Golf Digest reported last week that the R&A was expected to cancel the British Open because of insurance concerns. Like Wimbledon, the R&A is insured against a global pandemic, and cancellation would have to occur by a certain date. “The R&A is the most [insured] of all the tournaments,” a person familiar with the situation said. “They have complete cancellation insurance. I just don’t see any golf [being played] before August.”
Also, the U.S. Golf Association and R&A last week announced the Curtis Cup, the women’s amateur tournament pitting the United States against Great Britain and Ireland that was set to take place in June in Wales, will be moved to 2021. The British Amateur and British Women’s Amateur were moved from June to August.
