A pair of major global amateur events scheduled for 2020 have been cancelled over concerns of the global pandemic.
The International Golf Federation announced that the 2020 World Amateur Team Championships, scheduled for October in Singapore, will be cancelled.
The team event, which dates back to 1958, had already been moved from the original site in Hong Kong due to ongoing protests of the Chinese government by citizens. The biennial event was to be played over two weeks. Women's teams were to play for the Espirito Santo Trophy from Oct. 14-17, with the men's teams playing for the Eisenhower Trophy a week later at Tanah Merah Country Club and Sentosa Golf Club.
“This unprecedented decision was due to the global COVID-19 pandemic and the uncertainty that this has caused to ensuring that the 2020 WATC could be staged successfully,” said IGF Executive Director Antony Scanlon. “But most importantly, it was made to safeguard the health and safety of all athletes, officials and volunteers at the 2020 WATC, to which there was no certainty that this risk could be mitigated to an acceptable level.”
The IGF looked at postponing the event a year but could not be certain the logistics of the event -- both in terms of the international golf schedule and global travel -- would make it viable. France will host in 2022.
The R&A announced the cancellation of the inaugural Women’s Amateur Latin America Championship, which was due to take place in Argentina from Sept. 3-6 at Pilar Golf in Buenos Aires. The event has been moved to Sept. 2-5, 2021 at the same venue.
“The safety of players and officials is our utmost priority and with so much uncertainty as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic we decided it would not be appropriate to stage the championship this year," said Mark Lawrie, Director – Latin America and the Caribbean at The R&A.
