30 Mar 2020 | Professional golf |
Major championship schedule changes again
by Mark Hayes
The rollercoaster ride for this year's major championships looks set to continue.
Rumours abound that the men's US Open will soon be postponed, although the USGA maintains that Winged Foot Golf Club in suburban New York will remain the host club.
The Evian Championship moved at the weekend, place into the newly created void left by the postponement of the Olympic Games.
All decisions are being reconsidered as a result of the global Covid-19 pandemic.
The LPGA Tour and the Ladies European Tour announced the Evian will move to the week of 6-9 August.
Originally scheduled for 23-26 July, the France-based event will now run before Ladies Scottish Open, scheduled for 13-16 August in North Berwick.
"We greatly appreciate the willingness of ... the team at the Evian Championship to move dates and align with our European swing," LPGA Tour boss Mike Whan said.
"This adjustment makes for easier travel for players and assists us as we look to reschedule previously postponed events during a crowded summer and fall timeframe.
"This 2020 schedule shift is yet another example of (tournaments and sponsors) supporting our players and our tours during a very difficult time around the world."
The USGA responded to stories posted after the tournament build at Winged Foot, scene of Aussie Geoff Ogilvy's 2006 US Open triumph, had stopped.
"We continue to hold the (18-21 June) dates for the US Open at Winged Foot and monitor all available guidance and regulations ... to do what is in the best interests of the community for the health and safety of all those involved,” the USGA said in a statement.
"We had previously stopped the build of our corporate hospitality tents and are creating contingency plans should we need to pivot, given that postponement is a possibility.
"(But) it is premature to speculate on any potential date or location changes, but we expect to make a decision sometime in the middle of April."
Already this year, the Masters and US PGA on the men's side, and the ANA Inspiration on the women's side, have been postponed with an unprecedented late-year schedule being considered should the pandemic subside in time.
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