Augusta National Announces That The 2020 Masters Will Be Played Without Spectators
Masters- Fred Ridley, Chairman of Augusta National Golf Club, announced today that the 2020 Masters Tournament will take place November 9-15 without patrons or guests on the grounds. “Since our initial announcement to postpone the 2020 Masters, we have remained committed to a rescheduled Tournament in November while continually examining how best to host a global sporting event amid this pandemic,” said Ridley.
“As we have considered the issues facing us, the health and safety of everyone associated with the Masters always has been our first and most important priority. “Throughout this process, we have consulted with health officials and a variety of subject matter experts. Ultimately, we determined that the potential risks of welcoming patrons and guests to our grounds in November are simply too significant to overcome.
“Even in the current circumstances, staging the Masters without patrons is deeply disappointing. The guests who come to Augusta each spring from around the world are a key component to making the Tournament so special. Augusta National has the responsibility, however, to understand and accept the challenges associated with this virus and take the necessary precautions to conduct all aspects of the Tournament in a safe manner. We look forward to the day when we can welcome all of our patrons back, hopefully in April 2021. “We appreciate the support and patience of all those we serve – including the Augusta community, our corporate and broadcast partners and our friends in golf – as we continue to plan for this historic event.”
Boy oh boy is that gonna be weird. Sunday down the stretch at Masters on an empty golf course is gonna be one of the weirder things we'll ever see in our lifetimes. There will zero fans on Amen Corner with a green jacket on the line. No pimento cheese sandwiches will be consumed. No official Master merchandise will be purchased. A true reflection of the year that is 2020 I suppose. It'd be a stretch to say this news is shocking but a teeny tiny part of me was hoping things would be somewhat back to normal by the time the Masters rolled around in November but nope. There will be no patrons or guests on the grounds of Augusta National when the best golfers in the world tee it up there in 3 months. Weird. Remember when we were all ready to riot in the streets if they even dared to postpone or cancel March Madness? And now the global pandemic is affecting sporting events into November? What a roller coaster of a year its been.
The bright side? Well I don't know if you can all it a bright side necessarily but we just watched the PGA Championship without fans and it was AWESOME. You can't call the first major of the year anything but a roaring success despite there being no fans in attendance. The golf spoke for itself and it was highly entertaining. Lots of drama, lots of golfers in the mix and iconic shots. Are the PGA Championship and the Masters much different? Of course they are. The Masters is as much about the golf course as it is about what happens in the tournament so it'll be strange to say the least but the golf itself can carry a lot of the load as evidenced at Harding Park. This is just the way it's gotta be right now.
PSA for anyone lucky (or unlucky I guess) enough to have tickets to this year's Masters