South Africa’s Dylan Frittelli will not be able to defend his John Deere Classic title this year as the event has been cancelled.
The event was due to be held from 9-12 July as part of the PGA Tour’s revised schedule, which is due to start in June at the Charles Schwab Challenge.
But, Golfweek reports that financial issues caused by the Covid-19 pandemic has played a significant role in the decision to abandon the event for 2020.
READ: Frittelli on life, mental hurdles and PGA TOUR
John Deere Classic director Clair Peterson has made his disappointment known about the outcome of events, saying the tournament makes a sizeable donation to charities in the community each year.
‘We’ll probably do $10 million in charitable impact in a year that more than any I can remember will be critically important.
‘We had one sponsor say that 90 percent of the guests they surveyed said they wouldn’t even come if they were invited. So, all that income is gone,’ Petersen said.
Peterson also noted the impact of empty galleries as a reason for the decision with the first handful of events on the resumption of the PGA Tour set to be held behind closed doors.
And, given the strict regulations in Illinois, it looked as if no exception was due to be made for the John Deere Classic.
Last year the 29-year-old Frittelli claimed a highly impressive 2-stroke victory at the event by overcoming American Russell Henley on the final day.
It will be the second time in his career that Frittelli won’t be able to defend a title after winning the 2017 Lyoness Open, which was revamped for the 2018 edition to the Shot Clock Masters on the European Tour.
