European Tour takes a more common sense approach to re-scheduling re COVID-19

Yesterday European Tour CEO Keith Pelley issued a statement regarding further postponements/ cancellations with regard to COVID-19, which included their plan about possible re-scheduling which was in stark contrast to the missive in my previous posts from the PGA Tour.

While PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and his staff in Ponte Verde have listed proposed re-scheduling beginning on June 8th at the Colonial Club in Texas and continuing for 4 events without spectators ending with the Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit on July 5th, it is all speculative on the USA's condition with COVID-19, and a myriad of other "if's" I have listed in my last post.

While we are on a complete shutdown except for essential services in major cities across Canada, with self isolation being an absolute key to defeating the pandemic, attitudes across America differ widely.

For example this weekend the governor of Minnesota opened up all golf courses with parks soon to follow, while many other states have been playing before this, and many other beaches have had restrictions removed with thousands pictured pouring into one at Jacksonville Florida last weekend for example.

As such, Pelley and the European Tour seem much more aligned to the Canadian attitude and priorities towards COVID-19, than the USA.

Here is Keith Pelley's last statement.


As I wrote in my previous message to you, as important as golf is to all of us, public health and well-being continues to be our absolute priority.

That is why today we have announced the cancellation of the BMW International Open and the Open de France, as well as the postponement of the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open.

These are three of our most prestigious events, but it is essential that we continue to follow the guidance of the individual national Governments as we stand united in our efforts to stop the spread of Coronavirus.

While today I am informing you about the change in status of these three tournaments, my primary message to you, as a valued fan of the European Tour, is actually one of optimism because I am genuinely hopeful that from now on the information I send you in relation to our 2020 schedule will be positive.

We cannot emphatically commit to a start date because, as I have said many times, we will not resume until it is safe, and we are permitted to do so. We now have 14 weeks with no tournaments, but those three and a half months are also the time where the global situation may well begin to show signs of improvement. There are already discussions centering around the easing of restrictions in several countries and everyone is optimistic that these can continue.

This window also gives us the opportunity to continue working behind the scenes on a variety of scheduling options which would allow us to provide you with a busy calendar of golf to enjoy when we do resume.

For now, on behalf of our players, staff, partners and everyone at the European Tour, I would like to say a huge thank you to all the health professionals and frontline workers around the world. We are all indebted to the incredible work you are all doing and, as some of our players said in a special video recently, you are our true heroes.

Until we talk again, please stay safe, stay healthy and stay indoors wherever possible.

Bryan Angus