Masters targets November date, women’s amateur canceled

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The Augusta National Golf Club is targeting a Masters Tournament in November.

With many of the sports on hiatus this spring with the spread of the coronavirus, the club announced on March 13 the Masters Tournament and Augusta National Women’s Amateur would be postponed.

With the guidance of medical professionals, the club is anticipating the annual tournament to take place Nov. 9-15, 2020, the club announced in a release Monday morning.

“We want to emphasize that our future plans are incumbent upon favorable counsel and direction from health officials,” said Fred S. Ridley, Augusta National and Masters chairman. “Provided that occurs and we can conduct the 2020 Masters, we intend to invite those professionals and amateurs who would have qualified for our original April date and welcome all existing ticket holders to enjoy the excitement of Masters week.”

The 2020 Augusta National Women’s Amateur will be canceled due to scheduling conflicts, Ridley announced.

Trying to schedule the tournament around NCAA Tournaments, the World Amateur Team Championships, the LPGA Q-series and other amateur events led to the final decision of canceling this year’s tournament.

As a result, any amateur that was invited to this year’s tournament, as long as they retain their amateur status next year, will be invited to the 2021 tournament. The Drive, Chip and Putt announced it was using the same model, moving this year’s national finals in place of next year’s finals.

In other golf news Monday, the Royal and Ancient Golf Club announced the British Open will be canceled.