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The announcement that seemed inevitable has come to fruition: the 2020 Masters will be played without fans.
Fred Ridley, Chairman of Augusta National Golf Club, made the official announcement on Wednesday. The announcement comes only a few days after Augusta’s mayor suggested that this year’s tournament, scheduled for November 12-15, would “likely” be played without fans.
“Throughout this process, we have consulted with health officials and a variety of subject matter experts. Ultimately, we determined that the potential risks of welcoming patrons and guests to our grounds in November are simply too significant to overcome.
“Even in the current circumstances, staging the Masters without patrons is deeply disappointing. The guests who come to Augusta each spring from around the world are a key component to making the Tournament so special. Augusta National has the responsibility, however, to understand and accept the challenges associated with this virus and take the necessary precautions to conduct all aspects of the Tournament in a safe manner. We look forward to the day when we can welcome all of our patrons back, hopefully in April 2021.”
While the Masters is a separate operation from the PGA Tour, the fact that the Tour has yet to allow fans on the grounds since it resumed its season back in June it was almost a guarantee that Augusta National would follow in those same footsteps.
As for those that had tickets for the 2020 tournament, they will be guaranteed the same tickets for next year’s Masters.