Golf: British Open to be played with or without spectators, says R&A chief

LONDON (REUTERS) - The British Open golf championship will go on this summer, even if there will not be spectators.

"We will play The Open this year," said Martin Slumbers, the chief executive officer of Royal and Ancient (R&A), in an interview on Tuesday (Feb 2) with Sky Sports.

"We are certainly planning to stage The Open, but clearly at this point there are multiple scenarios. It's certainly a lot more complex than staging a normal Open Championship. But we are going to do everything we possibly can to put on a great championship for the country."

The British Open, golf's oldest major tournament, was cancelled in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic. The PGA Championship, US Open and Masters all were delayed but played without fans.

Slumbers said it will be up to the British government and public health agencies to decide whether spectators will be allowed on site when the tournament is played from July 15-18 at Royal St George's in Sandwich, England.

"I think there's a very good possibility we will be able to have spectators, but we will have to wait and see how many," Slumbers told Sky Sports.

"We are balancing the health and safety of everyone involved, but I strongly believe The Open needs spectators. It will be really important to have some, but we want to make sure we do it smartly, intelligently and with due diligence."

Officials at Augusta National said the Masters will go on in April with a limited number of spectators.

Meanwhile, golf's lawmakers are considering changes to equipment and the implementation of 'local rules' in an attempt to tame the power of the game's massive hitters.

The R&A, in conjunction with the United States Golf Association (USGA), said they are re-engaging the golf industry to achieve a more sustainable future for the game, fearing courses could become obsolete.

American Bryson DeChambeau, who won last year's US Open, topped the 2020 PGA driving distance chart with a colossal 329-yard average, with 78 players averaging 300 yards or more.

He trialled a 48-inch driver for the tournament, the maximum permitted shaft length, at the US Open but new proposals could see the limit set at 46 inches.

One 'area of interest' for the R&A and USGA is for the potential use of local rules that would specify the use of clubs and/or balls, resulting in shorter distances.

"This would enable committees conducting competitions to stipulate whether such equipment should be used," a joint statement said. "It could be available at all levels of play and would also allow golfers playing outside of competition to choose for themselves."

Stakeholders are being invited to participate in the process by sharing any data they might have on the topics by Nov 2.

While dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic has been the priority of golf's authorities or the past year, focus has now returned to the issue of controlling distance and acting on the Distance Insights Report published last February.

The report said increased hitting distances changed the strategic challenge of the game, altering the variety of skills needed to be successful and risked making courses obsolete.

The R&A and USGA are also seeking comment from manufacturers on proposed Equipment Standards changes, namely a reduction to 46 inches for maximum club length (not including putters), golf-ball testing methods and changes to the testing tolerance in relation to a club's "spring-like" effect.

Stakeholders, including manufacturers, have until March 4 to comment on the proposed club-length limits.

Mike Davis, CEO of the USGA, said hitting distances had to be addressed.

"Hitting distances have consistently increased through time and, if left unchecked, could threaten the long-term future of our game at every level and every golf course on which it is played," he said in a statement.

"This is the first forward step in a journey and a responsibility the USGA and The R&A share with the worldwide golf community, to ensure that golf continues to thrive for the next hundred years and beyond."

The R&A's Slumbers said it was a "critical topic" and looked forward to insights from the golf industry.

"We remain fully committed to conducting this hugely important exercise for the sport thoroughly, efficiently and collaboratively," he said.