Charl Schwartzel won the Brabazon Trophy at Royal Cinque Ports in 2002 – the 2020 English Open Amateur Strokeplay Championship at Sherwood Forest in late May has been cancelled Picture by ANDREW GRIFIFN / AMG PICTURES

ENGLAND Golf have postponed all championships and coaching scheduled to take place up until early June as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak.

They include the Brabazon Trophy at Sherwood Forest and the first international match of the season between England and France at Ganton, which hosted the Walker Cup in 2003.

All England coaching for their men’s, women’s and junior squads – both at national and regional level – have also been cancelled for the foreseeable future.

Top women’s events to be postponed include the English Senior Women’s Amateur at Peterborough Milton and the English Women’s Amateur at Sheringham, in Norfolk – both in May.

England men’s Seniors Championship which was due to be played at Luffenham Heath and Burghley Park, in Lincolnshire, in early June, has also been called off.

The following England Golf and co-sanctioned events are affected:–

• Golf Sixes – Centurion Club, St Albans, Hertfordshire 30-31 March 30-21
• Senior Series and Golf Captains – St Mellion, Cornwall, April 29-30
• Senior Series and Golf Captains – Hesketh, Lancashire, May 6-7
• Brabazon Trophy South Qualifier – East Sussex National, May 12
• Brabazon Trophy North Qualifier – Hessle, Yorkshire, May 12
• England v France – Ganton, Yorkshire 9-10 May 9-10
• English Senior Women’s Amateur – Peterborough Milton, May 11-15
• England Golf Medal (South) – Knole Park, Kent, May 17
• Golf Captains – Northants County, May 20
• Brabazon Trophy – Sherwood Forest, Notts, May 21-24
• English Women’s Amateur – Sheringham, Norfolk, May 27-31
• England Golf Medal (Midlands North) – Stanton-on-the-Wolds, Gloucestershire, May 28
• English Seniors Amateur Championship – Luffenham Heath, Rutland, & Burghley Park, Lincolnshire, June 3-5
• Senior Series and Golf Captains – Stowmarket, Suffolk, June 3-4
• England Golf Medal (East) – Colne Valley, Essex, June 7.

England Golf’s director of championships James Crampton said: “It is with regret that all England Golf events have been postponed until Sunday, June 7.

“Further information about potentially rescheduling some of these events for later in the year will be provided in due course.

“England Golf also recommends the postponement of all county and regional competitions during this time.

“While England Golf are encouraging golfers to continue playing the game, the intricacies associated with championship golf such as players travelling to events, staying in hotels and the additional personnel associated with the management of the events makes it impossible to ensure the safety and welfare of all concerned.”

All current entrants into England Golf events during this period of postponement will be contacted directly by the championship department with further information.

The decision has also been made to cancel all England Golf regional and national squad coaching sessions for men, women, boys and girls until further notice.

Individual coaching sessions can continue provided they comply with the stringent government and expert advice on social distancing, an England Golf spokesman said.

Events relating to championships and performance squads remain under constant review and timely updates will be issued via England Golf’s website and social media platforms, he added.

England Golf will continue to communicate any changes through our website, social platforms and via direct correspondence to their affiliated counties, clubs and golfers.

It is vital that everyone continues to follow best practice when it comes to dealing with the current outbreak of coronavirus.

•Last year’s Brabazon Trophy was won by 16-year-old Ben Schmidt, from Rotherham GC, who broke Sandy Lyle’s record set as a 17-year-old in 1975 – and 70 years after Hampshire’s Sir Paddy Hine became the first teenager to win the English Open Amateur Strokeplay, at Southampton’s Stoneham GC, when he was just 17.

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The 168-yard par three, fourth hole at Nairn GC which will host the 126th Amateur Championship in 2021. Picture by DONALD FORD IMAGES / The Nairn Golf Club

THE R&A has announced the venues for its amateur championships and international matches in 2021 – which include some of the most prestigious courses in Great Britain and Ireland.

Nairn, in the north of Scotland, will host The Amateur Championship for the second time 27 years after Dorset’s Lee James triumphed over Scotland’s Gordon Sherry 2&1, in the 36-hole final.

The qualifying rounds will also be played at Nairn Dunbar. It will be the 126th staging of The Amateur Championship, which features a field of 288 world-ranked players.

The winner earns a place in The Open and the following year’s US Open. Traditionally, the winner also receives an invitation to the Masters Tournament.

Hampshire produced back-to-back champions in 2016 and 2017 with Scott Gregory beating Robert MacIntyre at Royal Porthcawl, while Harry Ellis triumphed at Royal St George’s 12 months later, and is the last English winner.

Hunstanton in Norfolk, will host The Women’s Amateur Championship for a sixth time – and first since 1972 when Essex’s Mickey Walker successfully defended her title defeating France’s Claudine Clos-Rubin.

It will be the 118^th staging of The Women’s Amateur Championship which features a field of 144 world-ranked players.

The winner earns a place in the AIG Women’s British Open, US Women’s Open, The Evian Championship and Augusta National Women’s Amateur Championship.

R&A executive director Duncan Weir said, “We are delighted to be taking our 2021 championships to venues of the highest quality that will challenge the world’s leading men and women amateurs.”

“Our aim is to provide the opportunity for those players to compete with their international peers and to show how good they are.

“Selecting outstanding venues is key and we are delighted to have such a strong schedule for 2021.”

Elsewhere, 2021 will see Kent’s Royal Cinque Ports, in Deal, and Sandwich’s Prince’s host the Boys’ Amateur Championship for the first time.

The links courses on the Kent coast will welcome the world’s leading boy golfers who will compete in the championship 100 years after it was first played at Royal Ascot.

The Girls’ Amateur Championship will be played at Fulford, in Yorkshire, and the Girls’ U16 Amateur Championship will be played at Staffordshire’s Enville – both venues hosting the championships for the first time.

The Men’s Home Internationals will be played at Surrey’s Hankley Common, which hosted the English Amateur Championship won by Stoke Park’s 16-year-old Conor Gough, in August.

Elsewhere, the Boys’ Home Internationals will be played at Trentham, in Staffordshire, the Women’s and Girls’ Home Internationals at Ganton, in Yorkshire, and the Women’s and Men’s Senior Home Internationals at Machynys, in Wales.

On the international stage, Great Britain and Ireland teams will compete against the Continent of Europe in the Jacques Leglise Trophy (Boys) in Sweden,

The Vagliano Trophy (women) and The Junior Vagliano Trophy (girls) both take place in Switzerland.

The men’s team will compete against the United States of America in the Walker Cup at Seminole, Florida, with the biennial clash moving from its traditional September date to avoid the southern state’s hurricane season.

The full schedule of tournaments is:–

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