The 2020 Open Championship, or British Open if you will, has been cancelled…for now.
Although it seems all reports have been about the cancellation, Martin Slumbers attempted to clear that up in this statement.
In light of recent media speculation, we would like to clarify the position regarding The 149th Open.
Martin Slumbers, Chief Executive of The R&A, said, “We are continuing to work through our options for The Open this year, including postponement. Due to a range of external factors, that process is taking some time to resolve. We are well aware of the importance of being able to give clear guidance to fans, players and everyone involved and are working to resolve this as soon as we can. We will give a further update as soon as we are in a position to do so and thank everyone for their support and understanding in this challenging situation.”
If you were wondering why the tournament would be cancelled and not postponed in the first place, it’s because the R&A has insurance on the event for cancellations.
Part of the reason the championship is being canceled rather than postponed like the Masters and PGA Championship has to do with insurance, a source says. Similar to Wimbledon, the R&A has a policy that shields against a global pandemic, and a source indicated the Open would have to cancel by a certain date in order to collect on its insurance premium.
“The R&A is the most [insured] of all the tournaments,” a source said. “They have complete cancellation insurance. I just don’t see any golf [being played] before August.”
