MIAMI (AFP) – This year’s Ryder Cup golf showdown between Europe and the United States was postponed to 2021 on Wednesday, becoming the latest major sports event disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic.
The PGA of America, Ryder Cup Europe and the US PGA Tour announced the 43rd edition of the biennial matches, which had been set for Whistling Straits in Wisconsin on September 25-27, will instead be staged on September 24-26, 2021.
Safety concerns rose as COVID-19 cases continue to soar across the United States and no one involved wanted to stage a Ryder Cup without the passionate crowds whose cheers and songs animate an atmosphere unique in golf.
“As disappointing as this is, our mandate to do all we can to safeguard public health is what matters most,” PGA of America chief executive officer Seth Waugh said.
“The spectators who support both the US and European sides are what make the Ryder Cup such a unique and compelling event and playing without them was not a realistic option.”
A planned 2021 Presidents Cup between a US squad and the non-European Internationals team at Quail Hollow will be delayed until September 22-25, 2022, with a Ryder Cup in Rome pushed back a year to 2023.
The postponement is the first for the Ryder Cup since 2001, when September 11 terrorist attacks upon New York and Washington prompted the matches to be delayed a year. The Cup also went unplayed from 1939-1945 due to World War II.
Holders Europe will keep for another year the trophy won in France in 2018.
The worldwide COVID-19 outbreak has prevented spectators from attending golf events, including US PGA Tour tournaments, after its return in June from a three-month shutdown.
Guidance from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as state and local officials prompted the decision, with health considerations the top priority.
”Our medical experts and the public authorities in Wisconsin could not give us certainty that conducting an event responsibly with thousands of spectators in September would be possible,” Waugh said. ”Given that uncertainty, we knew rescheduling was the right call.”
RIGHT THING TO DO
World number one Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland and fellow four-time major champion Brooks Koepka of the United States were among top players who did not want a Ryder Cup without fans.
”We considered all options, including playing with a limited attendance, but all our stakeholders agreed this would dilute the magic of this great occasion,” Europe’s Ryder Cup director Guy Kinnings said.
