The organisers of the Ryder Cup have admitted there can be no certainty of the event taking place in typical form in its rescheduled window in 2021. Confirmation has now been delivered that the meeting of the United States and Europe, scheduled for late September at Whistling Straits, will be postponed for 12 months. The continuing problems around Covid-19, though, still leave question marks.
“None, frankly,” said the PGA of America’s chief executive, Seth Waugh, when asked what guarantees there were that the Ryder Cup would be played in front of a full crowd in 2021.
“We think that this is the right thing to do. I think I would bet on science, about the ability to figure out treatments, vaccines or protocols for safety, given that we have 15 months to do that. But there frankly is no guarantee.
“If we do get to this time next year and we can’t responsibly hold it, it likely will result in a cancellation at that point. I don’t think we can perpetually roll things forward. That’s not fair to the game. We’re hopeful that we will hold it, but all bets are off in terms of what’s going on in the world.”
Waugh insisted every attempt was made to play this year. While a Ryder Cup with no spectators was never viable, playing at Whistling Straits in front of reduced galleries was under careful consideration.
“We tried everything we could to make it happen because it would have been such a special year, given what everybody has gone through, to have pulled it off,” Waugh said. “I think it also took on even more importance after the Olympics got postponed because it would replace some of that nationalism that everybody cares so much about.”
Waugh declined to say if insurance cover mitigates any loss to the PGA of America. “I’d rather not talk about internal financial aspects,” he said.
The Ryder Cup will remain on “odd” years following 2021, meaning Europe will have to wait until 2023 to stage the event. Guy Kinnings, Europe’s Ryder Cup director, appeared relaxed about financial impact of that scenario on the European Tour.
“We’re coming off the back of what was probably our most commercially successful Ryder Cup in Paris in 2018,” Kinnings said. “That was a huge success on course and off course for us. That’s allowed Ryder Cup Europe to put in place a lot of commercial arrangements that have given some significant resources that allow us to make the decision for the right reasons.”
Padraig Harrington, Europe’s captain, has opted to freeze Ryder Cup qualification points until January 2021. The Presidents Cup, due to take place next year in Charlotte, will instead switch to a year later.
