European golf tour announces date for resumption of 2020 season

LONDON: Golf’s European Tour will resume on July 22 with a run of six tournaments over six weeks in the UK, starting with the British Masters, it was announced on Thursday.

The calendar has been wiped out since March due to the coronavirus pandemic but golf will return at Close House in northeast England.

The season will run until December, with all tournaments played behind closed doors and subject to strict safety and testing protocols.

The other events in the British swing are the English Open, the English Championship, back totournaments at Celtic Manor – the Celtic Classic and the Wales Open – and the UK Championship at the Belfry.

However, they are all subject to the lifting of the two-week quarantine by the government relating to those travelling from outside the country.

Four Rolex Series events have also been announced, with the Scottish Open and PGA Championship in back-toback weeks in October, while the Nedbank Golf Challenge in South Africa and the World Tour Championship in Dubai will take place in December.

European Tour chief executive Keith Pelley said: “Since the suspension of our 2020 season in early March, we have taken a measured approach in reassessing our schedule, informed every step of the way by our medical advisers and government guidance.

“We have consistently said that safety is our absolute priority and that is why today we are announcing our resumption in two months’ time supported by a comprehensive health strategy which has been led by our medical team.”

He added: “Based on the expert guidance we received, playing in clusters, in one territory, is the best option in terms of testing, travel and accommodation.”

The intention remains to crown a new Race to Dubai Champion in December but the European Tour has decided that no player will lose his card this year, nor will there be any formal graduations from the Challenge Tour.