Augusta National announces Masters postponement
The 15th at Augusta National. © Brian Keogh
Augusta National officials announced on Friday that The Masters Tournament will be postponed in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
The first men’s major championship of the season was scheduled for April 9-12 but now joins the growing list of sports events disrupted by the global health crisis.
"Ultimately, the health and well-being of everyone associated with these events and the citizens of the Augusta community led us to this decision," Fred Ridley, chairman of Augusta National Golf Club, said in a statement. "We hope this postponement puts us in the best position to safely host the Masters Tournament and our amateur events at some later date."
The Augusta National Women's Amateur and Drive, Chip & Putt have also been postponed and it no date for re-scheduling them has been announced.
Augusta National’s decision comes hot on the heels of the PGA Tour’s cancellation of The Players Championship as well as the Valspar Championship, the WGC-Dell Match Play Championship and the Valero Texas Open..
The Players Championship began as scheduled but while the PGA Tour initially announced that it would be played without spectators from today, the US circuit cancelled the remainder of the event late on Thursday evening US time, splitting half of the $15 million prize fund with the players.
Rory McIlroy returned to TPC Sawgrass to empty his locker and speaking just hours before the Augusta National announcement, he admitted that playing the Masters behind closed doors would have felt odd
“That would be so strange,” he said. “Even driving in here today, that was so eerie. There's no one around. It would feel sort of similar. Hopefully it doesn't come to that. If tournament golf is going to go on, that's the next tournament where it will happen.”
It’s now off, meaning he will have to wait a little longer to complete the career Grand Slam. He had planned to fly in coach Michael Bannon but admitted that practising with no return date was going to be difficult.
Admitting that getting together with other PGA Tour players for competitive games was unlikely, he said: “I think it's one of those thing where we have to wait and see. You are going out there practising not knowing what you are practising for.”
He felt for PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan, who agonised long and hard about calling off The Players before the closure of the theme parks in the Orlando area helped him come to what he believes was the correct decision.
“100 percent,” McIlroy said before packing his belongings into his car. “If in a few weeks time this dies down and everything is okay, it's still the right decision.
“Jay didn't sleep the night before last, trying to make this decision and trying to make the call, trying to do what's right for the tournament, trying to do what's right for the tour, the players, spectators, sponsors, media, everyone,” McIlroy said.
“I drove past his house this morning on the way from the hotel here and just looked and thought, Jeez, it's been a stressful week for him.”
Former Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley felt the PGA Tour had no choice but to postpone its events.
“There is so much unknown,” McGinley said on Sky Sports a few hours before the Masters announcement. “We don't know what we're dealing with here. The governments don't know. This is unprecedented. All we have to do is wait and be cautious.
“There's no doubt it's the right decision. This is a very serious situation and it's better to be over-cautious than under-cautious so absolutely it was right [for the PGA Tour] to call it [The Players].’
