Coronavirus concerns postpone The Masters
The Masters won’t be played next month.
Augusta National Golf Club announced Friday that the year’s first major, scheduled for April 9-12, will be postponed because of coronavirus concerns.
“Considering the latest information and expert analysis, we have decided at this time to postpone the Masters Tournament, the Augusta National Women’s Amateur and the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals, Augusta National Golf Club Fred Riley said in a statement. Ultimately, the health and well-being of everyone associated with these events and the citizens of the Augusta community led us to this decision. We hope this postponement puts us in the best position to safely host the Masters Tournament and our amateur events at some later date.
“We will continue to work with the World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Office of the Governor, the Georgia Department of Public Health, the City of Augusta and all other local authorities. We are grateful to all of these entities for their exceptional efforts and guidance. We recognize this decision will affect many people, including our loyal patrons. Your patience as we make every effort to communicate effectively and efficiently is appreciated, and we will share any additional information as soon as it becomes available. Updates also will be posted to our website.”
On Thursday the PGA Tour announced the Players Championship wouldn’t be finished and next week’s event, The Valero Open also would be canceled.
The RBC Heritage, held at Harbour Town Golf Links on Hilton Head Island, is the next scheduled event on the PGA Tour on April 13-19.
“The world is not coming to an end, but it’s a little reality check,” golfer Kevin Na told The Associated Press. “Golf is not that big of a deal when you look around at what’s going on in the world. I know Masters is being postponed. I think they’re doing the right thing, and I look forward to hopefully playing the Masters later this year.”
The Masters was just the latest major sporting event canceled or postponed because of the coronavirus. The NBA, NHL and Major League Baseball have suspended their seasons. The NCAA canceled all winter and spring sport championships, including the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments and the College World Series, in response to the growing spread of the illness.
On Friday, the Boston Marathon was postponed from April 20 to Sept. 14.
This story was originally published March 13, 2020 at 10:12 AM.
