No Spectators At The Masters

The Augusta National GC and the Masters tournament announced on Wednesday that there will be no spectators when the already-delayed tournament is played in November.

The Masters is traditionally golf's first major of the year, played every April in Augusta, Georgia.  Because of the coronavirus pandemic, tournament organizers pushed the tourney forward into November in the hopes that they could have fans (or patrons, as they are called).  But they decided today that they couldn't.

Here's Augusta National Chairman Fred Ridley:

“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, 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."

This will be the third golf major to be played without fans in 2020.  The PGA Championship was played without fans last week.  And the U.S. Open will be played in September without fans.  The fourth major, the British Open, was canceled this spring for the first time since World War II.