The PGA of America, Ryder Cup Europe, and the PGA TOUR announced on Wednesday that both the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup have been rescheduled and pushed back one year due to the unpredictability of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Ryder Cup, which is contested between teams from the United States and Europe, was scheduled for Sept. 22-27 at Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wisconsin. It has been rescheduled for Sept. 21-26, 2021.
“Unlike other major sporting events that are played in existing stadiums, we had to make a decision now about building facilities to host the 2020 Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits,” said PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh. “It became clear that as of today, our medical experts and the public authorities in Wisconsin could not give us the certainty that conducting an event responsibly with thousands of spectators in September would be possible. Given that uncertainty, we knew rescheduling was the right call. We are grateful to PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan and our partners at the TOUR for their flexibility and generosity in the complex task of shifting the global golf calendar.”
“While it is disappointing that the Ryder Cup won’t be played this year, the decision to reschedule is the right thing to do under the circumstances,” said U.S. Ryder Cup Captain Steve Stricker. “At the end of the day, we want to stage a Ryder Cup that will rival all other Ryder Cups in my home state of Wisconsin, and now we have the opportunity to showcase the event as it was meant to be seen.”
One of golf’s premier events, the biennial competition has been dominated recently by Team Europe, which has won nine of the past 11 Ryder Cups.
Meanwhile, the Presidents Cup that features Team USA against an international team minus European golfers, was moved from Sept. 30-Oct. 3, 2021, at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina, to Sept. 19-25, 2022.
“These two premier international team events are lifted by the spirit of the fans,” Monahan said. “With the uncertainty of the current climate, we fully support the Ryder Cup’s decision to delay a year in order to ensure fans could be a part of the incredible atmosphere in Wisconsin, and the delay of this year’s Presidents Cup was the right decision in order to allow for that option. We are thankful that our global partners, our friends at Quail Hollow Club, our long-time annual title sponsor in Charlotte and all associated with the Presidents Cup and the Junior Presidents Cup have approached this change with a unified, positive spirit. We are confident the move will give us even more runway as we bring the Presidents Cup to Charlotte in 2022.”
