If you’re feeling optimistic about the 2020 Masters being played in the fall, you’re not going to like what you’re about to read.
Kevin Kisner has developed a strong relationship with the boys on Barstool Sports’ Fore Play golf podcast, and the three-time winner on the PGA Tour was back on the show for Monday’s episode.
“Honestly right now I think 2020 is gone for the Masters,” said Kisner on the prospects of the event being held in the fall. “I don’t see how we can play it, (Augusta National isn’t) even open in September. What are they going to do, change the whole aspect of the golf course and club to host the Masters? I mean they would, but it would be a totally different golf course than what we play in the spring.”
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Kisner added, “I’ve heard the idea floated of taking the (PGA Championship) date seeing as it’s in San Francisco, but who knows if we’ll be playing golf by (May 14-17). I think this is going to be a long, drawn out off-season in the in-season.”
While talking about Augusta National, Kisner also revealed a golf trip for the ages that happens before the Masters: “I always go to Augusta and play a big match with other Tour players and members. We stay and have dinner and spend the night.”
This year’s match was scheduled for March 30. Kisner said Brendon Todd and Jimmy Walker were slated to play, adding that Rickie Fowler, Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth were also planning a trip.
The Aiken, South Carolina native isn’t just a player on Tour. He’s also a member of the PGA Tour Policy Board, giving him a unique perspective on the wild events that led to The Players Championship being canceled after just one round.
“I thought we were all good,” Kisner said after the first round of the Players. “Thursday I got done, got dinner with my family and was getting some treatment and (PGA Tour commissioner) Jay Monahan called and said ‘I need some help from you guys. What do you guys want to do?’ He wanted to poll every player and see if they felt comfortable continuing on.”
“We have a lot of international members with families abroad,” Kisner added. “Not knowing what was going to happen I think just kind of pushed his hand and he had to make that decision with guys not knowing if they were going to be able to travel back and forth and see their families.”
Kisner said he polled seven or eight players around him and they all wanted to keep playing, but there was too much uncertainty. He also revealed there were talks of making the Players a 36-hole or 54-hole tournament.
“We felt comfortable that we weren’t causing any harm to other people. We had very minimal people on site during the tournament,” said Kisner. “There’s not hand-to-hand contact that has to happen between players like other sports. We felt like we could be a unifying sport for the country. At the end of the day, it’s not worth the risk of what we see now has transpired. It would’ve really looked silly over the last two days to be playing golf while all that was going on.”
