PARIS • From honing their short games in the garden to giving their children dubious haircuts and chatting to footballers, golfers have been finding ways to fill the time without competitive sport.
Yesterday, the Open Championship became the latest casualty of the coronavirus pandemic, with organisers, The R&A, announcing that the 149th edition, which had been set for July 16-19 at Royal St George's, would be cancelled.
In the wake of the decision, the other three Majors, all played in the United States, announced rescheduled dates.
The PGA Championship, postponed from May, is now set for Aug 6-9 at Harding Park, San Francisco. The US Open was rescheduled from June to Sept 17-20, with the Ryder Cup to be contested one week later at Whistling Straits as scheduled. The Masters, which was to have been played this week, has been rescheduled for Nov 12-15.
The R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers admitted the cancellation was made "with a heavy heart", saying: "We appreciate that this will be disappointing for a great many people around the world but this pandemic is severely affecting the UK and we have to act responsibly. I can assure everyone that we have explored every option for playing The Open this year but it is not going to be possible."
Ireland's Shane Lowry, who lifted the British Open trophy last year for his maiden Major title, tweeted a video message expressing his disappointment, but said it was "the right decision based on people's health and safety".
Given the devastation caused by Covid-19, the sport is not foremost on the minds of most players.
"Golf is not a priority," Edoardo Molinari, the 2010 Ryder Cup winner, wrote in his blog for the European Tour's website.
"The most important thing right now is to make sure we all behave in a way that can help this situation get under control."
The Italian has been doing a daily quiz on Instagram to help raise money for front-line healthcare workers in his home town.
His preoccupation with more pressing matters comes as little surprise, as golf courses around the world have closed in response to lockdown and social-distancing measures introduced to slow down the spread of the disease.
Others are trying to make the best of a trying period, with many pros taking part in the golf ball keep-uppy challenge.
The Englishman Ian Poulter has used his ample free time to bond with his son by attempting to cut his hair like Ronaldo's.
Unfortunately, the end result, which was captured in an Instagram story video, was a copy of the former Brazil striker's infamous trim from the 2002 World Cup - and not the fashionable style sported by five-time Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo.
World No. 1 Rory McIlroy has also been using the downtime to do interviews, revealing more of his personality, telling pundit Jamie Redknapp: "I love golf, but I love the competition more. If there's no competition, I don't really see the point in going out and practising."
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS
