Ewen Murray: Cancelling The Open was a sensible decision by R&A
"I applaud the Open announcement, as I think it's sensible to look to next year," says Ewen Murray
Tuesday 7 April 2020 13:20, UK
I think we were all aware the news from the Royal and Ancient, the headquarters of our sport, would not be joyous and today the announcement came from The Kingdom of Fife that we will have to wait another year for the playing of the 149th Open Championship.
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For golf lovers and enthusiasts, it's a further blow to this 2020 season that's rapidly disappearing. The bigger picture, of course, is much more serious and infinitely more important.
I love the Masters and in a few hours' time in a normal world, Sky Sports would be getting the cameras organised, the studio up and running, and testing the mics in readiness for the year's first major. The adrenaline would begin to trickle, the excitement on the rise, the anticipation heading quickly north.
Then that wonderful moment, the one we've waited impatiently on throughout the long winter. The Azaleas, the Dogwoods and the splendour of these tall Georgia pines guarding the immaculate fairways and putting surfaces of Augusta National. The major season underway with three to come in three months, but not this April though.
Next month, the PGA Championship in San Francisco would be followed by the tough test of the US Open in June at fabled Winged Foot. However, they no longer will be in May and June this year.
The R&A will have spent many hours over the last few weeks trying to find a solution for this year's Championship. They would have looked to postpone it, studied possible dates later in the year. They would have left no stone unturned in their efforts to play and have the 150th edition at the Home of Golf next year. In 2020, there will not be an Open.
How we will miss the rugged, yet enchanting Links of Royal St George's and their fast running fairways. The iconic yellow scoreboard, the roars that reverberate around the course and the special atmosphere only The Open can provide.
It has yet to be confirmed, but the odds on a major-less year are short, but I say again, this is only golf. Shortly after the news from St. Andrews, Augusta announced they will try to play The Masters in the second week of November.
Should the world be in a better place by then, it's possible, as the tournament has less than 100 players, whereas the other three majors has in excess of 150. The PGA and US Open have not given up playing later this year.
I applaud the Open announcement, as I think it's sensible to look to next year and I'm not sure I see the point of possibly having three majors. The Open is one of the great worldwide sporting events and we wouldn't want or enjoy a diluted Championship. Some of you will think otherwise.
This beast the world is up against right now is frightening. It's running riot and in golfing terms, it's four up at the turn. However, there are many clever people in the world and thousands of them are trying to find a way to bounce back and claim victory. We must have every confidence that they will do that.
We can play our part by adhering to the advice health experts, scientists and our government give us. I'm like all of you, I miss the game and everything around it, but to win the challenge we face just now has the biggest prize of all.
