Augusta / Sandwich / New York » After the cancellation of the British Open due to the corona crisis, the three remaining major tournaments reacted immediately and announced in unison on Monday new dates for the remaining season highlights of golf professionals in the USA.
The organizing Augusta National Golf Club announced that the traditional Masters in Augusta, Georgia, will now be held from November 12th to 15th. On March 13, the 84th edition of the Masters was initially postponed to an indefinite date.
Due to the corona virus pandemic, the British Open was initially canceled on Monday. The 149th edition of the golf classic will not be rescheduled this year, but should now take place in July 2021, the organizers said. The US Open in New York will now take place from September 17th to 20th instead of June. This was announced by the Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck.
The PGA Championship in San Francisco – the fourth of the most important tournaments – will take place from August 6th to 9th instead of May. This date has been cleared by the cancellation of the Olympic Games in Tokyo – and after the cancellation of the British Open, there was finally planning certainty for the US organizers. In contrast to tennis, the new diary was obviously created as a concerted action and not as a solo effort. For example, the makers of the French Open did not coordinate with the two subsequent Grand Slam tournaments of this year – Wimbledon and the US Open – when moving from May to September.
The British Open, the $ 10.75 million golf major, was originally scheduled for July 16-19 at the Royal St. George’s Golf Club in southeast England. It is the first time since the Second World War that the Open Championship – as the official name is – does not take place.
Around 250,000 spectators make pilgrimages to the fairways and the 18 greens on the four days of the tournament. It is the only major that is not played in the United States. The tournament was held in 1860 as the first Open Championship at the Prestwick Golf Club on the west coast of Scotland. Willie Park Senior won and received a belt as a trophy. From 1872 the winner received the Claret Jug. It is a silver wine carafe and, alongside the green jacket at the Masters in Augusta and the Ryder Cup, is the most famous trophy in golf.
No German has yet been able to win the traditional tournament. Golf idol Bernhard Langer was often close to victory. Twice the now 62-year-old from Anhausen came second (1981, 1984) and four times third (1985, 1986, 1993, 2001).
