The Open will not be played in 2020 due to the current Covid-19 pandemic, the R&A confirmed on Tuesday after weighing up all advice.
The Open will next be played at Royal St George’s, in Kent, in 2021 and will be the 149th event. The 150th Open will be played at St Andrews from 10-17 July 2022.
The cancellation was based on guidance from the UK government, the health authorities, public services and the R&A’s advisers. This is the first time since World War II that golf’s original Championship, first played in 1860, has been cancelled.
‘I can assure everyone that we have explored every option for playing The Open this year but it is not going to be possible,’ said CEO Martin Slumbers.
He added: ‘Our absolute priority is to protect the health and safety of the fans, players, officials, volunteers and staff involved in The Open. We care deeply about this historic Championship and have made this decision with a heavy heart. We appreciate that this will be disappointing for a great many people around the world but we have to act responsibly during this pandemic and it is the right thing to do.
‘I can assure everyone that we have explored every option for playing The Open this year but it is not going to be possible.
‘There are many different considerations that go into organising a major sporting event of this scale. We rely on the support of the emergency services, local authorities and a range of other organisations to stage the Championship and it would be unreasonable to place any additional demands on them when they have far more urgent priorities to deal with.
‘In recent weeks we have been working closely with those organisations as well as Royal St George’s, St Andrews Links Trust and the other golf bodies to resolve the remaining external factors and have done so as soon as we possibly could. We are grateful to all of them for their assistance and co-operation throughout this process.
‘Most of all I would like to thank our fans around the world and all of our partners for their support and understanding. At a difficult time like this we have to recognise that sport must stand aside to let people focus on keeping themselves and their families healthy and safe. We are committed to supporting our community in the weeks and months ahead and will do everything in our power to help golf come through this crisis.’
The R&A’s remaining professional and amateur championships scheduled this year are under review and any further changes will be updated.
