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Open Championship next on the chopping block - report

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Shane Lowry (PA)
Shane Lowry (PA)

The 2020 Open Championship scheduled for Royal St George's in July is set to be cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic, a report indicate.

According to Golf Digest, the Royal and Ancient (R&A) was waiting on confirmation of the Wimbledon tennis tournament being cancelled before going ahead with its own plans to call off The Open for the first time since World War II.

With the Wimbledon decision being made official on Wednesday, all signs point to The Open - scheduled for 16-19 July in Sandwich, England - being called off as well, as it will enable the R&A to collect an insurance premium if it cancels by a certain date.

The Masters, which was scheduled for next week, and the PGA Championship, scheduled for next month, have both announced postponements but no future dates, while an announcement on the US Open, scheduled for 18-21 June at Winged Foot in New York, is expected by the middle of April.

According to the Golf Digest report, The Open is not expected to be staged at Royal St. George's next year, as that would create a logistical problem for the R&A.

The organisation has been planning a 150th Open celebration at the home of golf in St Andrews, Scotland, in 2021 for several years.

Irishman Shane Lowry won the 2019 Open Championship at Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland.

- TEAMtalk media

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