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After remaining silent for more than a week, Augusta National Golf Club announced on Friday morning that the Masters, which was scheduled to begin on April 9, will be postponed indefinitely due to coronavirus fears.
“Unfortunately, the ever-increasing risks associated with the widespread Coronavirus COVID-19 have led us to a decision that undoubtedly will be disappointing to many, although I am confident is appropriate under these unique circumstances,” Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley said in a statement released to the media. “Considering the latest information and expert analysis, we have decided at this time to postpone the Masters Tournament, the Augusta National Women’s Amateur and the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals.”
“We hope this postponement puts us in the best position to safely host the Masters Tournament and our amateur events at some later date.”
On March 4, Ridley released a statement reassuring fans that the Masters, along with the Augusta National Women’s Amateur and the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals, would proceed as scheduled.
“The safety, health and well-being of everyone is our top priority at Augusta National Golf Club,” Ridley said in a statement at that time. “We will continue to review the available facts and information with the experts and authorities, establish precautions and take appropriate action to ensure the safety of all involved.”
But since that time, the World Health Organization classified the COVID-19 as a global pandemic on Wednesday. The NBA moved to postpone the rest of the season alongside the NHL, and MLB canceled spring training and postponed the start of the season for two weeks. The club’s decision to postpone golf’s first major of the season comes 12 hours after PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan canceled the Players Championship after one round and declared all Tour events canceled through the Valero Texas Open, which is the tournament that precedes the Masters. Monahan confirmed during his press conference that he had been in close contact with officials at ANGC and shared “our thinking as we’ve gone through the process.”
The Masters has been played in April every year since it resumed after World War II. Kevin Kisner, who grew up in Aiken, S.C., near Augusta, also wondered how the later date will affect the way the tournament is played. Augusta National is considered a “winter course” and is open from early October until late May each year.
“It will be interesting to see how they go about trying to move the event with the local weather,” Kisner said.
Speaking before the cancellation of the Masters was officially announced, Billy Horschel noted that it would be difficult for international players in the field to travel to the Masters in April given the temporary travel ban to the U.S. that President Trump put in place on Wednesday. Other players reacted to the news with various levels of surprise.
“I’m perplexed. I’m shocked. I’m stunned. I’m numb about all of this,” said 2007 Masters champion Zach Johnson. “It’s like watching a movie and you hope you wake up and everything is back to normal. But this is reality. The people at the PGA Tour, specifically Jay Monahan, and the people at the Masters, specifically Fred Ridley, I completely trust and I’m confident they are talking to the right people and they are making the right decisions at the right time.
“It’s unfortunate for us players, clearly, but it’s just not about us. And that obviously has to be paramount. There are so many more individuals, entities, that are affected by this and could be affected even worse if we were to play. It’s unfortunate for the PGA Tour and the Masters.”
J.T. Poston, who won the Wyndham Championship in August and was going to be a Masters rookie, was hit particularly hard by the news,
“That’s not a fun message to get,” he said. “That’s a tournament that I’ve been looking forward to since I was a kid, and still very much looking forward to it. I know I’ll get my chance at it. Just won’t know when that’ll be.”
Kisner, on the other hand, wasn’t surprised by ANGC’s decision.
“I couldn’t see how Augusta could be the first one to come back to not knowing what’s going to transpire in the next three weeks, with all the things that have to occur to make the Masters happen, you can’t make a last-minute decision,” he said. “I’m going to chill out on the beach today and figure out life tomorrow. I haven’t put much thought into what’s going to happen. We’re all a little shell-shocked.”
“I think there’s bigger problems in the world right now than whether we play the Masters or not,” Jon Rahm said. “It’s as simple as that.”
“We recognize this decision will affect many people, including our loyal patrons,” Ridley said in his statement. “Your patience as we make every effort to communicate effectively and efficiently is appreciated, and we will share any additional information as soon as it becomes available. Updates also will be posted to our website, Masters.com.”
Steve DiMeglio and David Westin contributed to this story.
