The European Tour has announced the postponement of the Magical Kenya Open Presented by Absa which was due to take place between 12th and 15th of March. This followed the decision by the Government of Kenya to postpone all meetings and conferences in the country of an international nature.
Thomas Bjørn is set for one of the biggest challenges of his career next week when he embarks on a four-day charity walk over 210 kilometres from #Wentworth2Wales to raise funds for Unicef UK’s Save Generation COVID appeal and the Golf Foundation as part of the European Tour’s #GolfforGood initiative. Donations for the #Wentworth2Wales walk can be made at:
Italy has just gone into lockdown and around the world sports events are starting to be impacted by the Coronavirus crisis. All golf events cancelled to date have been mainly in Asia but now Europe and the USA are beginning to take action to stem the spread of the virus. The Masters is only a month away, and the signs are not promising.
As the Coronavirus crisis rumbles on golf tours facing an uncertain future. Every week that passes means that both the PGA Tour and European Tour are losing millions in TV and sponsorship revenues. The Americans have a plan for survival but their European counterparts face the perfect storm of challenges that threaten the existence of the European Tour itself.
I’m just about to pay my annual subscription, a tad late but hopefully given the current circumstances my tardiness is overlooked. I will be signing a cheque, or more likely be doing an online transfer, for a chunky sum of money, at a time when I have absolutely no idea when my next round will come. I am happy to pay up but many up and down the country will be thinking twice.
Phil Mickelson has indicated that a rematch with Tiger Woods may be in the pipeline and a possibility during the pandemic lockdown. Talk is of a repeat of the last match that took place in 2018 when Lefty took the spoils of $9 million.
Poor old Francesco Laporta, he flew into Doha to play in the Qatar Masters only to be shown the red card and had to turn about and fly straight back to Italy. The Qatari authorities have decided that any passenger arriving on a direct flight from Italy, or having been in the country in the last two weeks have a choice of going into quarantine for 14 days or flying back to Italy.
Golfers on the European Tour have come together to record a message to encourage everyone across the world to follow the World Health Organisation’s guidelines amid the coronavirus outbreak, reinforcing the #STAYATHOME message.
Tommy Fleetwood's caddy Ian Finnis took to social media to raise some money for his fellow caddies who are struggling as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. Offering 1,000 tickets at £10 each for a variety of prizes remarkably he sold out in just four hours. He is now running another draw with some impressive prizes.
Well, the R&A finally made a decision and somewhat surprisingly for some the decision was to cancel the 149th Open Championship because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Tournament will now take place at the same venue, Royal St George's Golf Club in Sandwich, in 2021.
As the various tours are losing millions each week in TV and sponsorship income and the Coronavirus trundles on the R&A continues to put out woolly statements about continuing to look at the options. Given the likely time frames for the lifting of social distancing and the issues over international travel, the R&A must postpone.
This time last year it was not looking particularly rosy for the golf industry in the UK. Participation figures for golf had risen slightly but the outlook for many clubs up and down the land was bleak. Membership figures were falling and there was a trend forming as the body of nomadic golfers rose.
