The European Tour’s Staysure Tour has canceled its 2020 season, the Tour announced Friday.
Tour members and medical advisers decided to cancel play on the professional golf tour for players 50 and older due to the risk of players, many of whom are in at-risk categories due to their ages, contracting COVID-19. The difficulty of staging events across Europe while the virus continues to spread was also listed as a reason for cancellation.
All playing exemption categories for the 2020 season are expected to be extended to 2021.
The decision was ratified Friday by the Staysure Tour Tournament Committee after previous approval by the European Tour Board of Directors and executive leadership team.
“This decision was not taken lightly but we feel it is the most responsible course of action following consultation with all of our stakeholders, and taking into account feedback from our players around the complexities of international travel at the current time,” head of the Staysure Tour Mark Aspland said in a statement. “While professional golf is slowly returning with the necessary safety protocols, we have to recognize the additional risk associated with the age demographic of the Staysure Tour membership, alongside the challenges of implementing the requisite health strategy across the multiple territories we play in.”
