On what would have been the first of two days of practice rounds for the Masters Tournament, Augusta National Golf Club chairman Fred S. Ridley announced a new date for the annual event Monday.
The 84th annual Masters Tournament is set for Nov. 9-15. However, Ridley added the decision has been made to cancel the 2020 Augusta National Women's Amateur due to conflicts with other tournaments, including the NCAA championships, the World Amateur Team Championships and the LPGA Q-Series.
Each player who accepted an invitation for the 2020 Augusta National Women's Amateur championship will be invited to compete in the 2021 event, provided she remains an amateur.
"On March 13, we announced the postponement of the Masters Tournament and the Augusta National Women's Amateur based upon the risks associated with the Coronavirus COVID-19, a pandemic that continues to impact lives everywhere," Ridley said in a released statement. "We remain very mindful of the extraordinary and unprecedented challenges presented by the Coronavirus around the world. As such, we continue to keep in close contact with local, state and national health authorities to help inform our decisions.
"While more details will be shared in the weeks and months to come, we, like all of you, will continue to focus on all mandated precautions and guidelines to fight against the Coronavirus. Along the way, we hope the anticipation of staging the Masters Tournament in the fall brings a moment of joy to the Augusta community and all those who love the sport."
Ridley added the plans will be dictated by the advice of health officials.
"Provided that occurs and we can conduct the 2020 Masters, we intend to invite those professionals and amateurs who would have qualified for our original April date and welcome all existing ticket holders to enjoy the excitement of Masters week.
"Also, those who purchased tickets will be sent a refund in May and given the opportunity to purchase tickets for the event next year. We thank everyone for their understanding of this decision, and we look forward to the championship returning in full strength next spring.
"We know the effects of these announcements will be far-reaching. Additional information will be made available on Masters.com and ANWAgolf.com as details become known."
Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293. Follow him on Twitter @StephenHargis.