The Masters, the first major golf tournament of the year, will be postponed due to coronavirus fears.
- The Masters was scheduled from April 9 to April 12.
What happened?
Fred Ridley, chairman of Augusta National Golf Club, announced the decision Friday morning, ESPN reports.
- He said: “Ultimately, the health and well-being of everyone associated with these events and the citizens of the Augusta community led us to this decision,” Ridley wrote. “We hope this postponement puts us in the best position to safely host the Masters Tournament and our amateur events at some later date.”
- No new date has been chosen
Some context:
The PGA Tour scrapped the Players Championship on Thursday, shutting down all other tournaments for at least the next three weeks, according to The Guardian.
- Jay Monahan, the Tour’s commissioner, said there was the possibility of having the Masters without a crowd.
- He said: “It would be very unusual without hearing the roars echoing through the valley,” said Jordan Spieth, the 2015 Masters champion, of an empty Augusta. “You can feed off a crowd anywhere and it can also a add a bit of pressure as well, in certain situations. This isn’t ideal for anyone but I think if you polled the players we would rather have the Masters go on without spectators than not go on at all. I think you would probably get a unanimous vote on that one. But it’s a shame.”
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