Ryder Cup postponed until 2021

THE Ryder Cup will be staged in odd-numbered years once more after the decision to postpone the 2020 edition at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin in September was finally made official yesterday. The contest will take place in the same week next year, bringing to an end an evennumbered hiatus that began owing to one terrible event, the 9/11 tragedy in 2001, and has shifted again owing to the shattering consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic. Every subsequent edition will move on a year, meaning the planned contest in Ireland in 2026 will now take place in the centenary year of 2027 instead. This will be seen as a victory for the players, who were opposed to the idea of a Ryder Cup taking place behind closed doors. But, with the Covid infection rate raging across America, it is a decision that is more about decency and responsibility. It is fair to say the organisers, the PGA of America, did everything they could to get the match played on time. ‘We heard the rumours months

ago about a postponement and we wanted to prove them wrong,’ said Seth Waugh, their chief executive. As time ticked away, however, it became clear they had run out of options. ‘We wanted to bring something special to the lives of people who have been so badly affected by this terrible pandemic,’ added Waugh. ‘The importance to play became even greater once the Olympics were called off. But with this nasty virus now showing its teeth once again, a postponement became the only responsible decision.’ When the two captains, Padraig Harrington and Steve Stricker, agreed to take on their respective positions, they knew they were in for an emotional rollercoaster — but neither could possibly have foreseen it would take this form. Harrington backed any number of different scenarios as the months ticked by, before accepting the final outcome. ‘Rescheduling the Ryder Cup was never going to be easy, but it’s the right assessment given the circumstances we are facing at this time,’ said the Irishman. As for Stricker, how cruel it would have been to ask the Wisconsin native to lead out his team in his home state with no one there. Not surprisingly, he never wavered from his opposition to the idea, and was a relieved man. ‘In my home state, we want to stage a Ryder Cup that will rival other Ryder Cups, and now we will have the opportunity to showcase the event as it was meant to be seen,’ he said. One of the reasons why it took so long to make the decision public — it was taken at boardroom level last month — was the protracted negotiations with the PGA Tour over what to do about their pride and joy, the Presidents Cup, due to be held in that September slot in 2021. With $10million of corporate hospitality already generated for the match against an International team, it cannot have been easy persuading chief executive Jay Monahan to move to 2022. Thankfully, the right decision for the good of the game was reached. The Ryder Cup postponement is a bitter financial blow, though, for the PGA of America — a separate body looking after the wellbeing of the nation’s club professionals — who were already facing estimated losses of $20m for having to host next month’s PGA Championship in San Francisco behind closed doors. Waugh, however, showed a nice line in perspective, saying: ‘It’s a mere paper cut to what others are going through with this pandemic and we’ll end up with the Ryder Cup we dream about.’