The Masters Tournament (also known as the U.S. Masters) dates back to 1934 and is one of the four major championships in professional golf. It is held in the first week of April every year at the Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia.
The 2020 event was postponed to 9-15 November as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic, with the hope that the rescheduled dates would provide enough time to allow the event to go ahead in its usual format. However, the unprecedented impact of Covid-19 has forced the organisers to take the decision to run the event without spectators present.
Fred Ridley, Chairman of Augusta National Golf Club said “Throughout this process, we have consulted with health officials and a variety of subject matter experts. Ultimately, we determined that the potential risks of welcoming patrons and guests to our grounds in November are simply too significant to overcome.”
“Even in the current circumstances, staging the Masters without patrons is deeply disappointing. The guests who come to Augusta each spring from around the world are a key component to making the Tournament so special. Augusta National has the responsibility, however, to understand and accept the challenges associated with this virus and take the necessary precautions to conduct all aspects of the Tournament in a safe manner. We look forward to the day when we can welcome all of our patrons back, hopefully in April 2021.”
The announcement means that none of the 2020 major golf tournaments will be played in front of spectators, after The Open Championship was cancelled and both the PGA Championship and U.S. Open will take place without fans on the grounds.
The growing trend of sports events going ahead without fans is in contrast to earlier optimism that many countries had managed to take control of the spread of Covid-19, paving the way for spectators to attend venues under the right conditions. However, with the rate of decline slowing or re-emerging in a number of countries, authorities are becoming more cautious about opening up to any additional risk, regardless of measures put in place by venues. This has led some senior officials to suggest that, without a vaccine, no major sports events will not take place with spectators present for the rest of 2020.
Fans who have purchased tickets for the 2020 Masters event will have their same tickets transferred to the 2021 event. If you are a ticket holder and are not able to attend in 2021, you will also have the option of a complete refund. Augusta National is reaching out to impacted ticket holders directly by email.
Oh, and in case you’re still brushing up on your golf lingo, a “whiff” is when the golfer attempts to strike a ball and misses it. See what we did there…