Golf: No fans allowed at Masters

The Masters, known as much for the roars as the raw beauty of Augusta National, will be on mute this year. The golf club decided Wednesday there will be no spectators.

That means all three majors in this year of COVID-19 will not have fans, and the silence figures to be most deafening at Augusta National when the Masters is played Nov. 12-15.

From the opening holes down to Amen Corner all the way through the back nine, players can often figure out what’s happening with others just by listening. That will be missing this year, along with the azalea and dogwood blooms from having to move it from April.

“Ultimately, we determined that the potential risks of welcoming patrons and guests to our grounds in November are simply too significant to overcome,” club chair Fred Ridley said.

Considered in some circles to be the cathedral of golf, Augusta National now will sound like one.

“Part of the allure and kind of majesty of Augusta National is the patrons,” Brandt Snedeker said.

“You have that electricity from the first moment on Thursday morning to when the last putt goes in on Sunday night on every hole. It’s not just on the back nine — it’s on every hole. So, to not have that, there is going to be a different feeling.”

Ridley said the health of everyone involved with the tournament during the COVID-19 pandemic was paramount in rescheduling the Masters from April and deciding whether it could have spectators, even a limited gallery.

He said all tickets will be honoured for next April, and the club would contact ticket holders and those who have applied for tickets for next April’s Masters sometime next month.