Golf’s most powerful governing bodies have been locked in discussions over the last 48 hours in a desperate effort to salvage the 2020 season and contest the game’s four major championships, multiple people with direct knowledge of the situation have told Golfweek. The people spoke on the condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak publicly.
Talks remain very fluid given the highly unpredictable nature of the COVID-19 public health emergency and the government response to it. The conversations involve the PGA Tour, the USGA, the PGA of America, the Royal & Ancient and Augusta National Golf Club.
On Tuesday, the PGA Championship — which had been planned for May 14-17 at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco — was postponed by the PGA of America. Within minutes of that call, the PGA Tour canceled another four tournaments on its schedule through mid-May. The nixing of the RBC Heritage, the Zurich Classic, the Wells Fargo Championship and the Byron Nelson brings to nine the number of events scrapped by the Tour in the last five days.
The week of August 3 is being looked at to reschedule the PGA Championship, two people with knowledge of the situation have told Golfweek. They spoke on the condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak publicly. Those dates coincide with the women’s golf competition at the Olympics. The men’s contest in Tokyo concludes the previous week.
The Masters, which announced its postponement last week, could potentially take place in October. As of now, the other two majors remain scheduled on their original dates: the U.S. Open at Winged Foot (June 18-21) and the Open Championship at Royal St. George’s (July 16-19).
That might change in response to the global emergency, said Craig Annis, chief brand officer of the USGA. “Based on shifting dynamics, postponing is a possibility that we are grappling with, but our goal is to keep our slot and play at Winged Foot,” he said.
Winged Foot is in Westchester County, N.Y., a hot spot for coronavirus outbreaks. One person with knowledge of the situation who was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter says two possible venues are being internally discussed as alternatives: Oakmont Country Club and Pinehurst No. 2.
A salvaged schedule would see the PGA Tour season resume in mid-to-late May, a goal that is entirely dependent on fast-changing circumstances. The FedEx Cup playoffs would then take place slightly later in the schedule.