America’s Marco Dawson was the suprise winner of the 2015 Senior Open at Sunningdale – beating Bernhard Langer and Colin Montgomerie to claim the Claret Jug – the R&A has postponed July’s 2020 Senior Open but has not ruled out holding it later in the year

THE 2020 Senior Open at Sunningdale has been postponed due to the continuing threat posed by the spread of the coronavirus.

Europe’s only Senior Major Championship was scheduled to take place on the stunning Old Course at Sunningdale Golf Club, from July 23-25.

Johnnie Cole-Hamilton, an executive director at The R&A, said: “We have made the decision to postpone the Senior Open presented by Rolex following discussions with all stakeholders – and with public health and wellbeing the absolute priority.

“We will continue to investigate alternative options to host The Senior Open later in the year – if at all possible – and will make an announcement in due course.”

Sunningdale last hosted the championship in 2015 when American Marco Dawson claimed the trophy for the first time, ending Bernhard Langer’s hopes of a third Senior Claret Jug.

And it also denied Colin Montgomerie a first Senior Claret Jug, as Dawson produced two eagles in his final round as he reeled in Monty’s four-shot lead with nine holes to play.

Langer went on to win the title in 2017 at Royal Porthcawl, and Langer would have been the defending champion in August, after his two-shot victory over Paul Broadhurst at Royal Lytham, last summer.

The 62-year-old German has a record of 11 Senior Majors to his name as the 1985 Masters winner – the second European to win a Green Jacket at Augusta after Seve’s historic win in 1980 – continues to defy his age.

Langer spoke last month about how much he was looking forward to returning to the club on the Surrey-Berkshire border.

He said: “I am really looking forward to returning to Sunningdale Golf Club.

“I remember the battle I had with Marco and Colin a few years ago, so it will be good to go back and create new memories.

“To win The Senior Open means a great deal as it is one of the highlights of the year and it was a great feeling to lift The Senior Open trophy last season.

“There are new, younger stars taking part every year, making the event one of the toughest to win, and I expect much of the same this time.

“Sunningdale is a special course with a lot of history and I have been in the mix on the two occasions the championship has been held there – so it would mean a lot to perform well once again.”

Sunningdale also hosted the event in 2009 when Lauren Roberts – the Boss of the Moss – beat Fred Funk and Marc McNulty in a play-off on the famous heathland course.

The Old Course was designed by Willie Park Jnr and opened in 1901, with Harry Colt’s New Course opening in 1923.

Mark Aspland, head of the Staysure Tour, said: “The decision to postpone The Senior Open has been made in the best interests of everyone involved.

“Our priority is ensuring the health and safety of all players, spectators and sponsors, and it is therefore the right decision to postpone the event.

‘We will continue to work closely with The R&A, Rolex and other key stakeholders to reschedule the event at a later date when we have further clarity on the global situation.

“Our thoughts are with everyone right now as we continue the global fight against the spread of coronavirus.”

The decision came on Tuesday as the Cabinet – in the absence of Prime Minister Boris Johnson who is recovering at Chequers after spending three days in intensive care last week suffering from COVID-19 – was preparing to extend the current lockdown in the UK as it entered a fourth week.

Bernhard Langer was looking forward to a return to Sunningdale. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

Five Senior Majors in 2020 are off

ALL five Senior Majors of the season have either been called off or rearranged because of the coronavirus pandemic.

And the first three dates on the European Seniors Tour calendar have also been postponed.

The Murhof Legends – Austrian Senior Open due to be held at Golfclub Murhof, Frohnleiten, from May 14-16,was cancelled last month along with the Italian Senior Open at Argentario Golf Resort & Spa, in Porto Ecole, from May 23-31.

The French Senior Open – presented by Jean Van De Velde – which was set to be played at Golf d’Arras in Anzin-Saint-Aubin, is another casualty.

The KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship – due to be held at Harbor Shores Resort in Michigan’s Benton Harbor, from May 21-24, was the second Seniors Major of 2020 to be called off.

The PGA of America announced it was being cancelled on April 2 – a lockdown order in Michigan was in place until April 13, leaving the organisers not enough time to complete preparations.

PGA of America chief executive Seth Waugh said: “While we are incredibly disappointed, we all understand that protecting public health is the highest priority.

“We are especially disappointed for the Benton Harbor community, our friends at KitchenAid and the fans and volunteers who support this important championship so passionately.”

The Senior PGA will return to Harbor Shores in 2022, the PGA said when it announced the cancellation.

Next year’s Senior PGA Championship will take place at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Oklahoma, from May 27-30.

US Senior Open at Newport CC moves to 2021

THE 41st US Senior Open – scheduled for Rhode Island’s Newport Country Club from June 25-28 – was cancelled last week.

The announcement came at the same time as the USGA’s decision to move the US Open back to September was taken, as well as calling off the third US Senior Women’s Open.

The men’s US Senior will now be played at Nebraska’s Omaha Country Club from July 8-11, in 2021.

“Canceling this year’s Senior Open championships was a very difficult decision to make,” said USGA chief exectuive Mike Davis.

“Not only are they important pillars of our championship schedule, but we also value our relationships with both Newport Country Club and Brooklawn Country Club, and were looking forward to staging incredible events there this summer.

“Given the ongoing health and safety issues related to COVID-19 and the significant consolidation of schedules into the back half of 2020, including the postponement of the US Women’s Open and US Open, we felt it necessary to make these unfortunate adjustments to our 2020 championship plans,” Davis added.

The only US Senior Open win for Bernhard Langer came at Sahalee Country Club, in Washington State, in 2010, when he finished three strokes ahead of Fred Couples.

The PGA Champions Tour had already cancelled or postponed four tournaments set to take place in the run up to the Senior PGA.

They included the Regions Tradition – the year’s first Seniors Major, which should have been played at Greystone G&CC in Birmingham, Alabama, from May 7-10.

It has been rescheduled for September 24-27.

The next PGA Tour Champions event on the schedule is the American Family Insurance Championship at Madison, Wisconsin, from June 5-7.

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The 2020 Open Championship at Royal St George’s has been cancelled – the Claret Jug will return to Sandwich in July 2021. Picture by ANDREW GRIFFIN / AMG PICTURES

THE R&A has cancelled The 149th Open at Royal St George’s in 2020 because of the current COVID-19 crisis – the championship will now be played at Sandwich in 2021, instead.

The Open was due to be staged in Kent from July 12-19, but following guidance – from the UK Government, the health authorities, public services and The R&A’s advisers – the decision was taken to pull the plug on staging the world’s oldest Major in 2020.

The move followed more than a week of intense speculation while the game’s governing body weighed up its options during the coronavirus pandemic.

It is the first time since the Second World War that golf’s original championship, first played in 1860, has been cancelled – following on from Augusta National’s decision last month to cancel this week’s Masters for the first time since WWII.

The decision piles on the pressure on the other two Majors in the 2020 calendar, which are all under threat – including June’s US Open at Winged Foot, and the USPGA, which has been suggested could move to early August, in the slot vacated by the cancellation of the Tokyo Olympics.

Talks have been going on for past week and on Friday The R&A said it was still reviewing its options.

A shift to a date in September prior to the Ryder Cup – considered the most likely option given the current Government lockdown to beat the COVID-19 crisis could last until the early summer – was finally discounted.

The R&A stressed its plan now is to hold the 149^th Open at Royal St George’s from July 15-18, 2021 leaving the stage set for the 150^th Open to go ahead at St Andrews, from July 14-17, in 2022 – when the awarding of the Claret Jug and the Gold Medal celebrates a special milestone in golf’s history.

R&A: First priority is protect health

R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers said: “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 this will be disappointing for a great many people around the world, but this pandemic is severely affecting the UK and we have to act responsibly. 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 wider community in the weeks and months ahead and will do everything in our power to help golf come through this crisis.”

Ireland’s James Sugrue, who won the 2019 Amateur Championship at Portmarnock – the R&A is waiting to decide if the 2020 championship can take place at Royal Birkdale, after the June date was postponed in March. Picture by THE R&A / GETTY IMAGES

Senior Open at Sunningdale ‘under review’

THE R&A’s remaining professional and amateur championships are also under review because of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.

They include the Senior Open at Sunningdale, in August, and The Amateur Championship at Royal Birkdale and West Lancashire, which has been put back from its traditional June date, as well as the Women’s Amateur Championship and the Senior Amateur.

The R&A also organises the AIG Women’s British Open, which is set to be played at Royal Troon, in August, and which must also be in doubt now.

The British Boys Championship, held in August, is the R&A’s top junior event along with the Boys Home Internationals and The Girls Amateur, which has already been postponed from its July date.

Great Britain & Ireland are also due to face Continental Europe in the St Andrews Trophy, which the R&A organises alongside the European Golf Associtaion, while the juniors are due to contest the annual Jacques Leglisle Trophy, also in August.

Updates will be given on any further changes, an R&A spokesman added.

R&A will transfer tickets to 2021

THE R&A will transfer over tickets and hospitality packages purchased for the 2020 championship at Royal St George’s to The Open in 2021.

Purchasers who no longer wish to – or are no longer able to – attend in 2021 – whether as a result of the COVID-19 crisis or not – will receive a full refund.

Further information on the arrangements will be sent directly to ticket and hospitality purchasers in due course, said the R&A spokesman.

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