Canadian Open canceled for 2nd straight year amid pandemic
Mar 9, 2021, 2:09 PM
Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland putts on the 14th green during the final round of the RBC Canadian Open at Hamilton Golf and Country Club on June 09, 2019 in Hamilton, Canada. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
TORONTO (AP) — The RBC Canadian Open, the fourth-oldest national championship in golf, has been canceled for the second straight year because of circumstances related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The tournament, which dates to 1904, was to be played June 10-13 at St. George’s Golf & Country outside Toronto.
“Even with an extensive health and safety plan in place, we faced a number of significant logistical challenges that led us to this decision,” PGA Tour President Tyler Dennis said.
The PGA Tour said Tuesday it would stage another event in the United States in place of the Canadian Open, which falls a week before the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines.
Rory McIlroy won the last Canadian Open in 2019.
Golf Canada had put together a health plan with hopes of staging the event, which involved travel restrictions and required quarantine policies. It also set a timeline to give the tour a chance to fill the spot if necessary.
“The timing simply did not align for us and we are deeply disappointed that the celebrated return of the RBC Canadian Open will have to wait another year,” said Laurence Applebaum, the CEO of Golf Canada.
The John Deere Classic last summer also opted not to play, and San Francisco-based Workday stepped in for a one-time event at Muirfield Village in Ohio, giving the tour consecutive weeks on the same course. Workday also stepped in to host a World Golf Championship in Florida two weeks ago when the Mexico Championship could not be played.
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