This year’s Australian PGA Championship and Australian Open golf tournaments have been postponed to 2022 due to the rising number of Covid-19 cases in the country, it has today been announced.
The announcement was made by the ISPS Handa PGA Tour of Australasia and Golf Australia, with the organisations citing concerns over public health and quarantine regulations for competitors as the reasons for the delay.
The Australian PGA Championship was scheduled for 2 to 5 December and will now take place from 13 to 16 January next year, while the Australian Open has moved from its original date of 25 to 28 November to late January of February. The date is yet to be confirmed.
Both the 2020 editions of the events were also cancelled due to Covid-19.
Australian cities Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra are currently battling a third wave of coronavirus infections.
Rules in Australia require a mandatory 14-day quarantine for international arrivals, which makes it hard for the country to host events.
Gavin Kirkman, chief executive at PGA of Australia, said: "These decisions are not taken lightly when we are talking about our flagship tournaments that are playing opportunities for our members.”
“But as much as the number of Covid-19 cases is a big concern, it’s also the quarantine requirements that make it difficult to run golf tournaments. Not all countries require international visitors to quarantine – America for example – and that puts Australia at a disadvantage in an international sport.”
James Sutherland, chief executive of Golf Australia, added: “Golfers are sole traders, they are not earning anything if they sit in quarantine for a fortnight."
“We’re not only talking about international players; most of the best Australian players also base themselves overseas during the year.”
“Given all the uncertainty at the moment, we want to ensure the safest and best possible experience for the players and fans, and this gives us some time to create that.”
It is understood that Australia will reopen the country once 70 to 80 per cent of adults have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19, with the rate currently standing at around 36 per cent.
