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The European Tour has confirmed the cancellation of the BMW International Open and the Open de France and the postponement of the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open, a Rolex Series event, due to the continuing threat posed by the spread of coronavirus.
The BMW International Open, which has been played every year since 1989, was due to take place from June 25-28 at Golfclub Munchen Eichenried, in Munich, Germany. The Open de France, continental Europe’s oldest national Open, was scheduled to take place a week later, July 2-5, at Le Golf National, near Paris. It has been cancelled following the French government’s decision to cancel all mass public gatherings and events until mid-July.
Meanwhile, the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open, one of eight Rolex Series events announced at the start of the 2020 season, was scheduled to return to The Renaissance Club in North Berwick from July 9-12. Discussions are ongoing to reschedule the tournament.
Keith Pelley, European Tour Chief Executive, said: “The decision to cancel the BMW International Open, which has been a cornerstone of the European Tour calendar for three decades, and the Open de France, one of our most historic national Opens was made in consultation with our long-term partner BMW and the French Golf Federation respectively with public health and well-being the absolute priority for all of us.
“Both Germany and France have been significantly impacted by Coronavirus, and our thoughts go out to everyone affected in both countries, as well as elsewhere around the world.
“In consultation with Aberdeen Standard Investments, VisitScotland and Rolex, we have also decided to postpone the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open, which is part of our prestigious Rolex Series. Discussions about the possibility of rescheduling this event will continue as we look at a variety of different scenarios for our schedule for when it is safe and permitted to resume playing. We will only announce details of these plans when we have clarity on the global situation.”
The PGA TOUR will recommence with the Charles Schwab Challenge on June 11 with the Korn Ferry Tour season to resume with a new event that same weekend at Pete Dye’s Valley Course at TPC Sawgrass in revised schedules released by the PGA TOUR.
Under the proviso that the Government and health advice surrounding the COVID-19 crisis allows for tournaments to proceed, the PGA TOUR hopes to play the first four events without crowds in attendance at which time the situation will be reviewed once again.
With 22 events already completed, the 2019/2020 PGA TOUR season will now consist of 36 events culminating with the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta from September 4-7.
The PGA TOUR also announced the revised Fall Series schedule of the 2020/2021 season that will begin with the Safeway Open from September 10 and feature 13 events including the US Open (September 17-20) and The Masters (November 12-15), the Mayakoba Classic and Hero World Challenge both set down for the week of December 3-6.
Marc Leishman (seventh), Cameron Smith (13th) and Adam Scott (20th) all sit within the top 20 on the FedEx Cup courtesy of their wins earlier in the year and will now be able to tentatively plot their schedules leading in to the Tour Championship.
It’s a jam-packed schedule and one PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan hopes will provide some normalcy and relief for the world providing the regulatory guidelines can be met.
“The health and safety of all associated with the PGA TOUR and our global community continues to be our No. 1 priority, and our hope is to play a role – responsibly – in the world’s return to enjoying the things we love,” Monahan said.
“Today’s announcement is another positive step for our fans and players as we look toward the future. But as we’ve stressed on several occasions, we will resume competition only when – working closely with our tournaments, partners and communities – it is considered safe to do so under the guidance of the leading public health authorities.”
Just six Korn Ferry Tour events had been completed at the time of the coronavirus shutdown and the Tour announced the postponement of the Evans Scholars Invitational (May 18-24), as well as the cancellation of the REX Hospital Open (May 25-31), BMW Charity Pro-Am presented by SYNNEX Corporation (June 1-7) and Live + Work in Maine Open (June 8-14).
Revised PGA TOUR schedule
2019/2020 season
* June 8-14: Charles Schwab Challenge, Colonial Country Club, Texas
• June 15-21: RBC Heritage, Harbour Town Golf Links, South Carolina
• June 22-28: Travelers Championship, TPC River Highlands, Connecticut
• July 2-5: Rocket Mortgage Classic, Detroit Golf Club, Michigan
• July 6-12: John Deere Classic, TPC Deere Run, Illinois
• July 13-19: the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide, Muirfield Village Golf Club, Ohio
• July 20-26: 3M Open, TPC Twin Cities, Minnesota
• July 27-August 2: World Golf Championships-FedEx St Jude Invitational, TPC Southwind, Tennessee
• July 27-August 2: Barracuda Championship, Tahoe Mountain Club (Old Greenwood), California
• August 3-9: PGA Championship, TPC Harding Park, California
• August 10-16: Wyndham Championship, Sedgefield Country Club, North Carolina
• August 17-23: THE NORTHERN TRUST, TPC Boston, Massachusetts
• August 24-30: BMW Championship, Olympia Fields Country Club (North), Illinois
• August 31-September 7: TOUR Championship, East Lake Golf Club, Georgia
2020/2021 Fall Series
• September 7-13: Safeway Open, Silverado Resort and Spa North, California
• September 14-20: U.S. Open, Winged Foot Golf Club, New York
• # September 21-27: Ryder Cup, Whistling Straits, Wisconsin
• September 21-27: Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship, Corales Golf Club, Dominican Republic
• September 28-October 4: Sanderson Farms Championship, Country Club of Jackson, Mississippi
• October 5-11: Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, TPC Summerlin, Nevada
• October 12-18: THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES, Nine Bridges, Korea
• October 19-25: ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP, Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club, Japan
• October 26-November 1: World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions, Sheshan International Golf Club, China
• October 26-November 1: Bermuda Championship, Port Royal Golf Course, Bermuda
• November 2-8: Houston Open, Memorial Park Golf Course, Texas
• November 9-15: Masters Tournament, Augusta National Golf Club, Georgia
• November 16-22: The RSM Classic, Sea Island Resort (Seaside and Plantation), Georgia
• November 30-December 6: Mayakoba Golf Classic, El Camaleón Golf Club, Mexico
• November 30-December 6: Hero World Challenge, Albany, Bahamas*
• December 7-13: QBE Shootout, Tiburón GC, Florida*
• December 14-20: PNC Father-Son Challenge, The Ritz-Carlton Orlando, Florida*
* Unofficial event
It was a parade of global golf talent rarely seen on Australian shores yet golf’s revised 2020 schedule has put Australia in position to once again draw the best of the best to two iconic tournament venues this summer.
Although the dates for the Australian Open at Kingston Heath Golf Club and Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland Golf Club are still to be finalised, the repositioning of golf’s three majors to potential new dates and current lack of playing opportunities opens the door to more players adding a Down Under plunder to their 2020 calendar.
Two-time Australian Open winner Matt Jones is almost certain to defend his title at Kingston Heath while 2019 champion Adam Scott and fellow PGA TOUR winners this year Marc Leishman and Cameron Smith are all on the hit list to play the PGA at Royal Queensland.
Add in European Tour winners Lucas Herbert and Min Woo Lee and a generous sprinkling of elite players from throughout the world and Australian golf has an opportunity to build on the momentum generated by last December’s Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne and our players since.
Players on the PGA TOUR, European Tour and Asian Tour in particular have been without a tournament to play in since the cancellation of THE PLAYERS Championship on March 13 while a start date for the 2020 Japan Golf Tour season remains very much up in the air.
The announcement on Tuesday of a proposed schedule incorporating PGA TOUR events, the US PGA Championship, US Open and a November Masters at Augusta National gave golf fans hope that a meaningful season can be salvaged in the week that the year’s first major was due to be played.
Health considerations regarding the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic aside, The Masters is now slated to conclude on Sunday, November 15 and PGA of Australia CEO Gavin Kirkman believes Australia’s two most prestigious tournaments would provide players and fans alike with a satisfying conclusion to a disrupted year.
“Depending on what happens with the PGA TOUR’s Fall Series, upon the completion of The Masters there is the opportunity to attract strong fields for both the Australian Open and Australian PGA Championship,” Kirkman said.
“Given the success of the Presidents Cup last summer we’re excited to see the Australian Open return to such a highly-regarded venue as Kingston Heath Golf Club and I have no doubt players will be excited at the prospect of an Australian PGA Championship at Royal Queensland.
“Around those two we also have the NSW Open, WA Open, WA PGA, Gippsland Super 6 and Vic PGA tournaments before the end of the year which are very important for our player pathways.
“We’ve got to have a good chat now about lining up the dates for those seven events along with what will happen with tour schools around the world.
“We started the year off with all of those wins by our players in Asia, Europe and in America and when I arrived at THE PLAYERS Championship the excitement around what our players were doing and what we were achieving with our tour made us believe we were headed for one of our best seasons.
“The announcement of a revised schedule on Tuesday was certainly a positive indicator of what can still be achieved in 2020 and we’d love to be able to provide both our Australian players and international stars the chance to play on two of our finest courses.”
In line with government recommendations and in the interests of health for both the public and its staff, all PGA Tour of Australasia and PGA sanctioned events such as Pro-Ams and PGA Legends Tour events are currently suspended until June 1.
Kirkman says that the PGA will continue to monitor the advice and policies outlined by government and health organisations with the hope that any PGA-sanctioned events can take place as soon as it is safe to do so.
The Tailor-Made Building Services NT PGA Championship (August 20-23) and rescheduled PNG Open (September 24-27) are the next scheduled four-round events on the Australasian schedule to be followed by the WA PGA Championship and WA Open in successive weeks from October 8.
The Ladbrokes Pro-Am Series and Ladbrokes Legends Tour are often underwritten by the host golf club and although they are experiencing difficult times right now, Kirkman is confident that many will go ahead as planned once the season recommences.
“The regular contact that we’ve been in with clubs, even with the unknowns everyone is still keen to move forward with those events,” said Kirkman.
“Once the governments allow events to be played, when we do recommence it won’t immediately go back to normal. There may still be the physical distancing policy in place which might mean we play in groups of twos and other guidelines that we will have to follow in order to conduct an event in a safe manner.”
The Aussie trio who came so close to toppling the might of Tiger Woods’ US team at Royal Melbourne in December have praised the selection of Trevor Immelman to succeed Ernie Els as captain of the International team at the 2021 Presidents Cup.
The analytical approach adopted by Els to overturning America’s dominance in the teams event coupled with the South African’s inspirational standing in world golf had the International team poised to complete an enormous upset heading into Sunday’s singles matches.
Led by Woods, the US team overcame a two-point deficit to win 16-14 but the sense within the International camp was that Els had put in place the method required to soon end their string of losses stretching back to 2005.
Els’ decision not to captain the team for a second time at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina was met with a level of surprise but Adam Scott, Marc Leishman and Cameron Smith all agree that Immelman is the ideal man to assume the role.
One of four captain’s assistants to Els in Melbourne, Immelman will become the youngest International team captain in Presidents Cup history and all three Aussies are determined to help the now 40-year-old build on the momentum generated in Melbourne.
“Trevor will bring a lot of great insights and value into our team’s preparation due to his wealth in experience as both a player, a captain’s assistant and broadcaster,” said Scott, currently ranked No.6 in the world and looking at playing in his 10th Presidents Cup in 2021.
“He certainly played a big role in our team’s amazing fight against the Americans last year and I’m sure he will be a fantastic leader when we head to Quail Hollow Club.
“Trevor worked closely with Ernie who was a phenomenal captain and established a new template for our team.
“I see Trevor embracing the momentum from Melbourne and making the International team stronger heading into Charlotte.
“I’ll be doing everything I can to be part of his team next year.”
Smith made his Presidents Cup debut at Royal Melbourne and showed himself to be a talismanic figure of the future with his gritty defeat of American superstar Justin Thomas in the Sunday singles.
Fresh from his breakthrough individual title at the Sony Open in January, Smith believes the International team will continue to strengthen under Immelman’s leadership.
“We came really close under Ernie’s captaincy and I see Trevor creating the same kind of impact in our team,” said Smith.
“I also like the fact there will continuity as Trevor was an instrumental member in Ernie’s backroom team.
“Whenever Trevor has anything to say in the team room, all of us will certainly sit up and listen carefully as he’s got so much knowledge and insights in the game.
“Hopefully, I will continue to play well to get into the International Team.”
Like his fellow Australian representatives, Leishman used the disappointment of the Presidents Cup to propel himself to a fifth PGA TOUR title at the Farmers Insurance Open in January and hopes to harness Immelman’s positive approach to topple the US on their home soil.
“To play for Trevor will be another huge goal. He’s one of the most positive people I’ve ever met and he’s going to be a great captain,” said Leishman, currently ranked No.15 in the world.
“I just want to play good and do everything that I can to be on the team next year and be a leader again.
“Ernie did a great job and hopefully we’ll get an overflow from all the positive vibes we had from Royal Melbourne for Trevor to carry on from there.
“Trevor should be really proud to be made our captain and we’ll work our butts off to make him a winner and to make us winners.”
The 2008 Masters champion, Immelman saw first-hand Els’ influence in Melbourne and wants to build on what his fellow South African established.
“Ernie found a way to make all the right moves once we got down to Australia, to make guys feel comfortable in the team environment and comfortable in their own skin to where they could really go out there and compete,” Immelman said.
“He gave our team an identity, something we could grab on to. I think that is going to be his legacy moving forward, and it’ll be up to me and the rest of our leadership team in years to come to continue from that platform.”
From Thursday Fox Sports will show a repeat of Adam Scott’s 2013 Masters triumph; Australian legend Rodger Davis was looking forward to being in Augusta this week to see the Queenslander secure a second green jacket.
Just hours after golf’s governing bodies announced a proposed schedule of events for later in the year in the wake of the COVID-19 shutdown, Davis backed the move of The Masters to mid-November.
Provided tournament golf can resume, that is when Scott will take a shot at a second victory at Augusta National Golf Club alongside Jason Day, Marc Leishman, Cameron Smith and US Mid-Amateur champion Lukas Michel.
Twice a participant at The Masters in 1988 and 1992, Davis watched Scott’s pulsating 2013 playoff win over Angel Cabrera from his Gold Coast home and, seven years on, believed that the 39-year-old was in position to repeat the feat.
“That year was being replicated this year,” said Davis, the current Chairman of the PGA of Australia.
“He won the Aussie Masters out here in the summer and then the next year he played well at Riviera (T10 at the Northern Trust Open) and had another good result in Florida (T3 at WGC-Cadillac Championship).
“Riviera in particular is a great warm-up for The Masters and tee-to-green wise he was playing so well. I was thinking, Here we go again, he could knock over a second Masters this year.
“And I was supposed to be there this year so I was really looking forward to it.”
Prior to Scott’s breakthrough, Augusta National had developed into a picturesque place of heartache for Aussie golfers.
Dating back to Jim Ferrier’s runner-up in finish in 1950, Aussies had come tantalisingly close to a green jacket for more than 60 years without success until Scott produced two of the greatest putts of his life at the 72nd hole and first hole of the playoff to enter Australian sporting immortality.
Dismissive of any notion of an Aussie curse at Augusta – “I don’t believe in it, I’m not really that sort of person” – Davis praised Scott for the way he shared his history-making accomplishment with the Australian public.
“What he did for Australian golf that year was just unbelievable,” said Davis, Scott returning that summer and winning the Australian PGA Championship, Australian Masters and finishing second at the Australian Open.
“He did everything that was asked of him in terms of promotions and what have you and in fact, in some ways, I thought he most probably did too much.
“He was at every function he could be at and did a great job as an ambassador for Australian golf and as an ambassador for The Masters.”
Starting at 7am on Thursday morning, Fox Sports will be replaying each of the four rounds of the 2013 Masters on Fox Sports 503 followed each day by replays of last year’s victory by Tiger Woods.
2013 Round 1: Thursday 7-11am
2013 Round 2: Friday 7-11am
2013 Round 3: Saturday 7-11am
2013 Round 4: Sunday 7-11am
With the health and safety of our Members, participants and stakeholders at the forefront of everything we do, the PGA of Australia will postpone the 2020 Volkswagen Scramble Championship Final due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
The event, originally set to be played 1-4 May 2020, will be rescheduled later this year. Due to the ever-evolving nature of the situation a future date for the tournament is yet to be determined.
The Regional Final series which has already been postponed will also be rescheduled ahead of the Championship Final once the situation is clearer.
We will continue to work closely with our sponsors, the host venues and competitors to keep you up to date as further information comes to hand.
As we are dealing with unprecedented events worldwide, this measure is a much-needed approach to ensure we are playing our part in flattening the coronavirus curve.
This will assist in decreasing the rate of transmission, as well as freeing up the valuable resources at hospitals and health centres so frontline support staff can appropriately manage the crisis.
The PGA – guided by the expertise of the Australian Government and leading health authorities – will continue to monitor the situation closely and will communicate any future changes.
Please don’t hesitate to contact Louise Meagher, 0448 849 950 should you have any questions relating to the Volkswagen Scramble.
Reigning ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit champion Ryan Fox has revealed the personal drama he experienced prior to the first of his two Tahiti International triumphs in 2012.
Nominated by Irishman Paul Dunne to participate in the European Tour’s ‘Tour Tales’ series designed to provide some entertainment during the global COVID-19 pandemic crisis that has brought tournament golf to a standstill, Fox shared an incident involving his now wife Anneke and a rental car in the days leading up to the tournament.
Eager to do some sight-seeing whilst in Tahiti, Anneke planned a self-drive tour of the island in a rental car rather than watch Ryan play a practice round, but didn’t even make it out of the hotel car park.
Cheers for the nom @pauldunne11 …prob not the smartest story to share given I’m on lockdown with my wife for a month…? I now nominate @ScrivJ @justinjwalters & @andysulligolf . Hope everyone is staying safe and we will be out the other side soon. @europeantour #tourtales pic.twitter.com/iNLM4G74Ys
— Ryan Fox (@ryanfoxgolfer) March 25, 2020
“Just before she left she realised she had never driven on the opposite side of the road and hadn’t driven a manual in about five years,” Fox recalled in his Twitter post.
“She asked whether we could do a couple of trips around the car park just to make sure she was OK to go on the road.
“The first two trips went OK and we were doing one last trip and randomly she started veering to the right. Before we could really do anything we heard this great big scrape and she had driven into a ditch.
“The motor plate was sitting flat on the edge of the curb and both wheels on the right side of the car were off the ground.
“Thankfully at this time there were a few golfers that had seen it and a car-load of local Tahitians coming in to put up some scaffolding.
“It took 10 of us to lift the car out of the ditch and back onto the road again.
“Anneke decided she’d be better off driving a cart around during the practice round and she did redeem herself.
“She caddied for me that week and I managed to win the tournament.”
Fox, who nominated West Australian Jason Scrivener to share a tale of his own from life on tour, has been indulging a few of his non-golf passions during the hiatus, landing some big fish and sharpening his drumming skills.
Runner-up to Min Woo Lee at the ISPS HANDA Vic Open, Fox was sitting 22nd on the European Tour Order of Merit and 131st in the World Rankings when tours were postponed for the immediate future.
Here’s my audition tape for your virtual Foos covers band @FredVR_ ? Dusted off some different sticks this week, not bad for the fitness either! ? #foxtracker pic.twitter.com/byyH9lHQfX
— Ryan Fox (@ryanfoxgolfer) March 21, 2020
With five wins from the past nine events, Queensland’s Tim Hart leads the Ladbrokes Pro-Am Series Order of Merit with earnings of $18,907. Hart has won 22 events in the past 13 months but knows a prolonged postponement of the Aussie pro-am schedule due to the coronavirus will bring with it financial and emotional challenges for many players.
We didn’t know anything about the postponement of the Pro-Am Series until the second round of the Queanbeyan Pro-Am last Tuesday when we got the news that it was probably going to come to an end within the next few days.
It was disappointing because I’d found something that was working for me and was playing well but I can’t complain about not having the chance to play golf. There are a lot of people worse off than me right now.
The PGA and people at Yowani Golf Club were kind enough bring the presentation forward after my win last Thursday so I could make my flight back to Brisbane that night. I was cutting it pretty fine but by the time I got to the airport there were only two people in the line waiting. Whenever I’ve travelled at 6pm during the week it’s usually chaos.
It was an eerie feeling walking through the airport. It kind of felt like the times I’ve been in China where there are big airports but not many people in them.
I was travelling with Chris Wood and there was probably only one or two people per row on the flight back. Chris and I managed to keep our distance; he was in business and I was up the back with the cattle.
It’s hard to know how long guys will be able to go without tournaments to play in; I don’t have the answer to that. I’ve been talking to a lot of the other guys and I don’t think anyone has an answer.
Unless you’ve got some qualifications behind you or have a mate who can give you some work it’s going to be very difficult.
All I’ve done since I was a young fella is play golf so I haven’t got any qualifications or education to fall back on if I can’t play.
Dealing with the mental health battles I’ve been facing the past couple of years, sitting around all day is not going to be too good for me either.
In 2018 I was trying to play through some injuries which put a lot of pressure on me financially and mentally. There was a build-up over six months and then it hit me all at once; I’ve been battling anxiety and depression ever since.
It’s something that is there now which I am well aware of. I’m doing everything possible to keep that at bay, especially at a time like this when sitting on the couch with time to think is not a good thing.
I’ve spoken to one of the other boys and he said he went down to Centrelink today to see what we might be entitled to and the line was 200 metres long. If any of those people in line have got the virus, you don’t want to be there standing around waiting.
I’ll let it cool off for a bit and then talk to the boys who have been to Centrelink and see what they can do for us.
Financially, if you don’t have anything saved away from playing pro-ams or the Aussie tour events it’s going to be very difficult the next six months.
Even when we get the all clear to start playing again it’s going to be difficult for clubs and associations to put up the money for pro-ams to play in.
The past couple of months I’ve been practicing at Golf Central in Brisbane but I haven’t touched a club since I got home on Thursday night because of what’s going on.
It’s hard for me to put the time into practise not knowing when you’re going to be playing next. I always like to peak for events by putting in a good stint of practice rather than going out every day and hitting balls for the sake of it.
I probably can go and practise but to be 100 per cent honest I won’t for the time being just because I know there’s nothing coming up for me to compete in.
I’ve learnt recently the importance of routine and that’s something I’ll have to put in place these next few weeks. I do meditation every morning when I wake up and I’ve got my head around the idea that I’ll be stuck inside for a fair while now.
My girlfriend is a nurse so I’ll try and stay busy by supporting her as much as I can and the rest of the time I’ll read and listen to audio books and try and do some exercise here at home.
I’d love nothing more than to be back out there playing but I think the reality is that’s probably not going to be possible for a few months now.
Currently 18th on the Asian Tour Order of Merit and 76th on European Tour Race to Dubai, Travis Smyth has been in self-isolation since Monday following his return from Malaysia. Here he shares his thoughts on the impact of coronavirus on Australian professionals and how he is filling his days of solitude.
I found out on the day that I was due to leave Malaysia that I would be subjected to the 14-day self-isolation when I returned to Australia on Monday morning.
Obviously, when we were playing the Malaysia Open as players we were talking about what might happen but we didn’t imagine it would get to this point.
There’s now basically nowhere for any of us to play.
Because America didn’t shut anything down until late last week I was thinking about coming home for a couple of weeks and then going to the States to see my girlfriend, do some Korn Ferry Tour Monday qualifiers. But now there’s nothing at all to play over there either.
How good does self Isolation for 14 days sound. Wonder if I can bribe my favorite barista to bring me coffee every day. Geeze this will be tough to not go and sneak a late 9 in.
— Travis Smyth (@travsmythg) March 16, 2020
The next tournament I’m hoping to play is the Asia-Pacific Diamond Cup in Japan in two months’ time and my understanding at this stage is that Japan Tour events are going ahead but without spectators.
Originally the plan was to play the Malaysia Open and then go to Thailand and India but when they were both postponed I decided to spend a few days with some really good friends playing golf in Kuala Lumpur before coming home.
By the time my flight was due to leave last Sunday the Australian Government had announced the self-isolation for all international travellers coming back into the country.
On the plane there were Australian Government health officials who gave us a piece of paper with all the information about the coronavirus and a website to visit to get more information.
At the passenger entry terminal there was also a box asking if you were aware of the 14-day isolation that you had to click, but that was basically it.
I had one night in my apartment in Sydney before my flatmate suggested it would be best for me to head down to my parents’ place in Wollongong. He says if I still haven’t got any symptoms after a week I’m welcome to come back.
I wasn’t sure how strict it was going to be – whether I could play golf by myself for example – but in the last couple of days I heard that if you get caught out of isolation that you could be subject to an $11,000 fine in New South Wales.
It’s day three now and I’ve honestly been doing nothing.
I’ve just been hanging out with Mum and Dad, listening to iBooks, watching Netflix and sleeping in.
The book I’m listening to at the moment is the life story of Navy Seal David Goggins called Can’t Hurt Me.
I don’t have any weights or anything here but I’m going to try and come up with some kind of workout I can do to at least keep the body a bit active.
I’m also going to dig out the net I built as my final project in Design and Tech in Year 12 and see if that still works.
I got a pretty good mark for that net actually.
May as well make the best of a boring situation.
A statement from the PGA TOUR.
The health and safety of everyone associated with the PGA TOUR and the global community is and will continue to be our No. 1 priority as we navigate the ongoing health crisis related to the Coronavirus Pandemic.
On March 12, the PGA TOUR made the announcement to cancel or postpone four weeks of events on all six Tours through the week of the Valero Texas Open (April 2-5). Augusta National Golf Club also announced the postponement of the Masters Tournament (April 9-12).
With the most recent recommendations from the Center for Disease Control, the World Health Organization and the Office of the President of the United States, the PGA TOUR will now cancel four additional events: RBC Heritage (April 13-19); Zurich Classic of New Orleans (April 20-26); Wells Fargo Championship (April 27-May 3); and AT&T Byron Nelson (May 4-10).
Furthermore, the PGA of America has postponed the PGA Championship (May 14-17) for a date later this year, to be announced. Also announced today, the USGA is currently holding the dates for the 2020 U.S. Open at Winged Foot Golf Club as scheduled (June 18-21) but will, as all of us are, continue to monitor the developing situation and follow recommendations by government authorities.
As we receive more clarity in the coming weeks, the TOUR will be working with our tournament organizations and title sponsors, in collaboration with golf’s governing bodies, to build a PGA TOUR schedule for 2020 that ensures the health and safety for all associated with our sport and a meaningful conclusion to the season. We will provide further updates when those plans come into focus.
Today’s cancellation of PGA TOUR events through May 10 applies to all six Tours, although PGA TOUR Champions has rescheduled The Regions Tradition. Originally slated for May 7-10, the event will now be played September 24-27. PGA TOUR Champions previously announced on March 16 that the Mastercard Japan Championship (June 12-14) will not be contested due to the current travel advisories in place from the CDC, the WHO and the U.S. Department of State.
We will continue to work with the tournaments and partners affected by the schedule changes to make a positive impact in their respective communities and allow those events to come back at full strength in 2021. To give our fans respite from this ongoing situation, the PGA TOUR is working with its partners to make available archives of past PGA TOUR competitions and additional programming for fans. More details will be made available soon.
SUMMARY of CHANGES
PGA TOUR
March 9-15 THE PLAYERS Championship Canceled
March 16-22 Valspar Championship Canceled
March 23-29 WGC-Dell Match Play Championship Canceled
Punta Cana Corales Resort & Club Championship Postponed
March 30-April 5 Valero Texas Open Canceled
April 6-12 the Masters Tournament Postponed
April 13-19 RBC Heritage Canceled
April 20-26 Zurich Classic of New Orleans Canceled
April 27-May 3 Wells Fargo Championship Canceled
May 4-10 AT&T Byron Nelson Canceled
May 11-17 PGA Championship Postponed
PGA TOUR Champions
March 23-29 Rapiscan Systems Classic Postponed
April 13-19 Mitsubishi Electric Classic Canceled
April 27-3 Insperity Invitational Canceled
May 4-10 Regions Tradition Rescheduled (Sept. 21-27)
June 8-14 Mastercard Japan Championship Canceled
Korn Ferry Tour
March 16-22 Chitimacha Louisiana Open presented by MISTRAS Canceled
March 23-29 Lake Charles Championship Canceled
March 30-April 5 Savannah Golf Championship Postponed
April 13-19 Veritex Bank Championship Canceled
April 20-26 Huntsville Championship Canceled
April 27-3 Simmons Bank Open for the Snedeker Foundation Canceled
May 4-10 KC Golf Classic Canceled
May 11-17 Visit Knoxville Open Postponed
PGA TOUR Latinoamérica
March 23-29 Buenos Aires Championship presentado por Volvo Postponed
March 30-April 5 Termas de Rio Hondo Invitational Postponed
April 13-19 89th Abierto OSDE del Centro presentado por Telecom-Fiber Group Postponed
April 20-26 94th Itau Abierto de Chile presentado por Volvo Postponed
May 4-10 Puerto Plata Open Postponed
Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada
March 23-27 Qualifying Tournament (California) Postponed
March 30-April 3 Qualifying Tournament (Arizona) Postponed
April 12-17 Qualifying Tournament (Florida) Postponed
April 26-May 1 Qualifying Tournament (Canada) Postponed
PGA TOUR Series China
February 25-28 Qualifying Tournament (China, then moved to Indonesia) Postponed
March 3-6 Qualifying Tournament (Thailand) Postponed
March 23-29 Sanya Championship Postponed
March 30-April 5 Chongqing Championship Postponed
April 13-19 Guangzhou Open Postponed
May 4-10 Clearwater Bay Open Postponed
As we work together to help reduce the spread of Coronavirus, we urge our fans – and everyone around the world – to be mindful of the health and safety measures in place:
