CITY TO MISS PRO GOLFERS
PGA’S Mackenzie Tour cancels its 2020 season
The COVID -19 pandemic has now officially claimed the Windsor Championship golf tournament for 2020.
The Mackenzie Tour — PGA TOUR Canada event was scheduled for its third year on July 16-19. The event was postponed earlier this month with hopes it could be picked up later in the year, but the tour cancelled its entire season on Friday.
“Working closely with the Mackenzie
Tour — PGA TOUR Canada, we fully support the decision to cancel the 2020 season,” Adam Wagner, who is the Windsor Championship tournament director, said in a release. “Our primary responsibility is the safety of the local community and we feel like this is the best decision for everybody.”
However, Wagner said the event is expected to return in 2021, but no dates have been released.
“Our commitment to the Windsor community and the Windsor Championship is unwavering and we are going to work hard towards putting on another strong community-based event in 2021,” Wagner said.
The 2020 season was set to be the Mackenzie Tour’s eighth overall and the 13-scheduled events were to be the most in the tour’s history.
“In its first two years, the Windsor Championship has become a phenomenal local event that has brought the community together while raising a significant amount of money for local charities,” City of Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens said.
Last year’s event drew 7,000 fans to Ambassador Golf Club for the event while generating $2 million in economic input for the area and raising $101,150 for the Hospice of Windsor and Essex County.
“However, due to the current situation, it is in the best interest of the community to postpone the 2020 event,” Dilkens said.
“We are confident that tournament organizers will use the additional time to make the 2021 event the strongest yet and once again positively impact the City of Windsor.”
With the border between Canada and the United States closed until at least June 21, it just became unrealistic that the tour would be able to finish three qualifying schools and then squeeze in 13 events over the summer.
Last year, 82 of the top 100 money winners on last year’s tour were from the U.S. and another 12 from other countries around the world.
“With growing uncertainty surrounding the border and quarantine regulations, among other factors, we have been in consistent communication with all of our events and believe this decision ensures the safety of the community,” said Scott Pritchard, the Mackenzie Tour’s executive director.
“We are going to use this time to work alongside the Windsor Championship to make the 2021 event the strongest yet.”