Could a revised professional golf schedule be on the way?
According to a Golfweek report, which cited three anonymous sources with knowledge of discussions, golf’s governing bodies are close to making a joint announcement in unveiling updated schedules for the majors and the PGA Tour, one that would include three or four major championships and a Ryder Cup in a four-month span.
Here are some of the details outlined in the report:
• Initial discussions had The Players Championship, which was canceled after 18 holes last month because of COVID-19 concerns, being rescheduled, but those plans have since been nixed.
• The last holdup on an official announcement is The Open Championship, which the R&A confirmed Friday had yet to be moved from its original July 16-19 date. The new schedule would see The Open being played at Royal St. George’s on Sept. 17-20, a week before the Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits, which would keep its original dates.
• If The Open stays in its current slot or is canceled, the U.S. Open would likely fill that mid-September window, allowing it to remain at Winged Foot. However, if the U.S. Open, which still has yet to be rescheduled from June, is forced to a later date in the fall, it likely would need to be played elsewhere.
• USGA chief brand officer Craig Annis told Golfweek that it is becoming “increasingly likely” that the U.S. Open will be postponed. The USGA has reportedly been in talks with two potential replacements, 2021 host Torrey Pines and last year’s host Pebble Beach. “If we get beyond September we would need to find a U.S. Open-ready course in a place with the right climate and agronomics, with consideration to available daylight hours,” Annis added.
• The PGA Championship would become the year’s first major, taking place Aug. 6-9 at TPC Harding Park.
• And arguably the biggest news: the Masters would move to November, specifically Nov. 12-15.
Currently, the PGA Tour schedule is slated to resume May 21-24 at the Charles Schwab Challenge, but per this report, the Tour is instead targeting a mid-June restart.
Further details of what other Tour events would be affected by this new schedule and when next season’s wraparound campaign would begin were unknown.