The 2020 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club has officially been postponed due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
“Respecting the health and well-being of everyone associated with these events and the citizens of the Augusta community, the 2020 Masters tournament, the Augusta National Women’s Amateur and the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals have been postponed,” organizers said in a statement Friday morning.
The most prestigious event in pro golf was set to kick-off on April 9 in Augusta, Georgia. Organizers originally considered holding the tournament without fans, but as the pandemic becomes more serious and has effected more citizens across the country, experts have warned that public gatherings of any kind should not be held. Organizers have called-off the event for now, postponing it to a later date.
“Ultimately, the health and well-being of everyone associated with these events and the citizens of the Augusta community led us to this decision,” chairman Fred Ridley said in a statement. “We hope this postponement puts us in the best position to safely host the Masters Tournament and our amateur events at some later date.
“We will continue to work with the World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Office of the Governor, the Georgia Department of Public Health, the City of Augusta and all local authorities. We are grateful to all of these entities for their exceptional efforts and guidance.”
At this time, a rescheduled date has not been set.
Earlier this week, Yahoo Sports! revealed that Masters ticket prices had faced a sharp decline, hitting a five-year low on the secondary market. While tickets are usually hard to get, seats were up-for-grabs for incredibly low prices like $1,485 on StubHub and just $1,080 on SeatGeek.
This is the latest major sporting event to be cancelled due to coronavirus; yesterday, the NBA cancelled the remaining season, followed by NHL, MLB, and MLS suspending operations. The BNP Paribas Open has also been called-off, as well as March Madness.
