The British Open will not be played this year for the first time since 1945, with the R&A choosing to play golf’s oldest championship next year at Royal St. George’s and move the 150th Open at St. Andrews to 2022.

It was a major piece of golf trying to reconfigure a schedule brought on by the spread of the new coronavirus.

Golf organizations were expected to announced later Monday the PGA Championship moving to August, the U.S. Open and Tour Championship going to September and the Masters to be played in November, two weeks before Thanksgiving.

All that depends on guidance from government and health authorities.

R&A chief Martin Slumbers said the decision to cancel the British Open was based on guidance from the U.K. government, health authorities and public services.

He said all tickets and other hospitality packages will be shifted to 2021 or fully refunded.

About the Author

Featured

Austin Walters died from an overdose in 2021 after taking a Xanax pill laced with fentanyl, his father said. A new law named after Austin and aimed at preventing deaths from fentanyl has resulted in its first convictions in Georgia, prosecutors said. (Family photo)

Credit: Family photo