The USGA has canceled two upcoming amateur events as well as portions of qualifying stages for both the U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open because of COVID-19 concerns.
USGA officials announced Tuesday that the U.S. Women’s Amateur Four Ball, scheduled for April 25-29 at Quail Creek Country Club in Naples, Fla., and the U.S. Amateur Four Ball, scheduled for May 23-27 at Philadelphia (Pa.) Cricket Club, have both been canceled and will not be played in 2020. Additionally, officials have canceled the local stage of U.S. Open qualifying, which was slated to begin April 27, as well as the lone stage of U.S. Women’s Open qualifying, which was to begin on April 21.
The decision comes one day after officials noted that recent guidelines from the Center for Disease Control discouraging mass gatherings for the next eight weeks would “clearly have an impact” on the qualifying schedule for the USGA’s two biggest events.
The second and final stage of U.S. Open qualifying, previously known as sectional qualifying, is set to run from May 18-June 8 and currently remains on schedule. So, too, are the June 4-7 U.S. Women’s Open at Champions Golf Club in Houston, Texas, and the June 18-21 U.S. Open at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, N.Y.
“At this time, it is premature to speculate what might occur with other 2020 USGA championships,” the statement read. “We will continue to monitor all available guidance and regulations from the CDC, WHO and other federal, state and local authorities to do what is in the best interests of our community.”
Should the professional majors stay on schedule for June, it remains to be seen how the altered qualification plans will impact how each field is filled. Per the USGA statement, officials “will look to redesign qualifying going forward as events unfold.”