Archive: Sports

In partnership with the state of New York, the USGA has announced that due to ongoing health and safety concerns from the COVID-19 pandemic, the 120th U.S. Open Championship, scheduled Sept. 14-20 at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, N.Y., will be conducted without spectators on-site. The USGA will put protocols in place to protect players and staff, including rigorous protocols for testing, cleaning, use of face coverings and social distancing.

"The 2020 U.S. Open will take place at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck this September. The national championship is a great event. It will be held without fans and the organizers are working with the State Department of Health to ensure everyone's safety," Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced Wednesday. "Today's numbers show continued progress - and our goal now is to protect that progress as states across the nation see their infections rates surge. We cannot go backwards, so remember to wear your mask and stay New York Tough."

Cuomo continued, "That is a great event, it's a national event. The championship will be help without fans and the championship organizers are working with the State Department of Health to ensure health and safety of all the golfers and staff. But, that's going to happen, 2020 U.S. Open at the Winged Foot Golf Club. And people will get to enjoy that. It's not onsite, you'll be able to watch it on TV."

Cuomo also offered to have Major League Baseball teams come play in New York if they are experiencing difficulties in their home states.

USGA CEO Mike Davis said, "We are very grateful to Governor Cuomo and his team for their collaboration over the past few months. We are very proud to give our competitors and champions the opportunity to chase their dreams at the U.S. Open to Winged Foot Golf Club in September. While we will miss having fans on-site, we know this is the right decision to make for the players and the community."

The USGA announced on April 6 that the 120th U.S. Open, which was scheduled to be held June 18-21 on Winged Foot’s West Course, had been postponed to Sept. 17-20, and it announced in June that the championship would be conducted without traditional qualifying.

“This will not be a typical U.S. Open in several respects,” said John Bodenhamer, the USGA’s senior managing director of Championships. “Would it have been easier to simply cancel or even move the 2020 championship rather than play it in what has been the epicenter of the virus in our country? Possibly. But all of us at the USGA know how much the U.S. Open matters, and we weren’t willing to give up on playing it at Winged Foot Golf Club so easily. We are very proud to give our competitors and champions a platform to chase their dreams. Their perseverance motivates us, in a year when such tenacity means so much.”

"While we know we can’t replicate the on-site experience, we will be working diligently to bring the championship to life for fans through our partnership with NBCUniversal and on our digital platforms,” said Craig Annis, chief brand officer of the USGA. "We hope that crowning a U.S. Open champion in September can serve as an inspiration and a small respite from world events to the millions of people who will watch at home and follow on their mobile devices."

Tickets purchased directly through the USGA will be automatically refunded to the method of payment used to purchase the tickets.

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