TORONTO – Due to border restrictions, mandatory quarantines for those entering Canada and gathering restrictions in all provinces because of COVID-19, the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada announced that it is canceling its 2020 season.

“With growing uncertainty surrounding the border and the 14-day quarantine regulations, among other factors, we’ve weighed all of our options and concluded that it is not feasible to play this summer,” said Mackenzie Tour Executive Director Scott Pritchard. “With the safety of the communities we play in mind, as well as the well-being of our players, sponsors, tournament-organizing committees, volunteers and golf course staff, we came to the realization that this is the best decision for everyone involved.

“We also wanted to be considerate of our players and their desires to play golf,” Pritchard added. “Understanding the complexities that this pandemic has caused, we knew it wasn’t fair to leave our members in positions that might prevent them from pursuing other playing opportunities elsewhere while waiting to see what transpired in Canada.”

The 2020 season was set to be the Mackenzie Tour’s eighth, with 13 scheduled tournaments— the most in the Tour’s history.

“We had built a lot of momentum coming into this season, and we were excited to continue making a positive impact in the communities where we play, while also providing opportunities for our players to progress to the PGA TOUR,” continued Pritchard. “Our commitment to our tournaments and their local communities, as well as our players, is unwavering, and we’re going to use this time to come back stronger in 2021.”

The Tour has already sent Mackenzie Tour members information regarding eligibility for the 2021 season. Status for prior members will be based on Order of Merit results from the 2019 season, with the top-60 players exempt.

Meanwhile, players who earned status at the three-completed 2020 Qualifying Tournaments will retain status for the 2021 season, and those Qualifying Tournament entrants yet to compete will be guaranteed spots at a 2021 qualifying site.

Golf Canada is pleased to announce the formation of the Golf Industry Advisory Council, a volunteer group comprised of experienced professionals who will bring a golf industry voice to support Golf Canada’s Board of Directors and management team.

Reporting to Golf Canada’s Board of Directors, the Golf Industry Advisory Council will be composed of eight to 13 members with backgrounds, skill sets and experiences from across the golf landscape. The Council will include course owners and operators; club general managers; golf course superintendents; PGA of Canada professionals; and executives from the golf equipment, apparel and footwear industry.

“Deepening our engagement, dialogue and collaboration with course operators and the Canadian golf industry at large is core to Golf Canada’s strategic plan and the catalyst to forming the Golf Industry Advisory Council,” said Golf Canada President Charlie Beaulieu. “The expertise of the Council will be extremely impactful in providing the Board and our management team greater understanding of the priorities and critical activities of our golf industry partners with whom we share a commitment to the overall health of the sport. ”

The Council Chair will be designated by Golf Canada’s Board of Directors and may serve a maximum of two one-year terms. Members of the Council will be nominated by the Officers of Golf Canada (President, 1^st Vice President, 2^nd Vice-President and Immediate Past President) along with CEO Laurence Applebaum in consult with the Chair and staff representative of the Council.

Golf Canada Adjusts Composition of its Board; Welcomes Two New Directors

In addition to the formation of the Golf Industry Advisory Council, Golf Canada’s Board of Directors has also adjusted the composition of the Board from a fixed number of 11 members to a more flexible model of eight to 13 members which will include the new Industry Advisory Council Chair as well as an additional Director at Large.

With this adjustment, Golf Canada is pleased to welcome two experienced golf industry leaders as new Directors on the Board—Clublink Chairman and CEO Rai Sahi as well as Shawn Evans, President and CEO of Golf North Properties. Between Clublink and Golf North, Sahi and Evans collectively represent 85 of Golf Canada’s member clubs.

Sahi and Evans join the Board of Golf Canada which includes Charlie Beaulieu of Lorraine, Que. (President); Liz Hoffman of Thornhill, Ont. (1^st Vice-President); Dale Jackson of Victoria (2nd Vice-President; Rob MacDonald of Winnipeg; Susan MacKinnon of Calgary; David McCarthy of Toronto; Adam Daifallah of Montreal; Jean Stone-Seguin of Ottawa; Patrick Kelly of Vancouver; Paul Beaudry of Calgary; and Alison Chisholm of Rothesay, N.B.

The COVID-19 pandemic, which already has postponed the U.S. Open at Winged Foot from June to September, has forced the USGA to do away with qualifying for the first time since 1924.

Open qualifying is the hallmark of golf’s second-oldest championship. The USGA often points out that typically half of the 156-man field has to go through either 36-hole qualifying or 18-hole and 36-hole qualifying.

It even invested in a marketing campaign that was rolled out in February titled, “From Many, One,” to illustrate that more than 9,000 people apply to play in the U.S. Open, eventually yielding to one winner.

The USGA did not announce Monday how other players would become exempt.

Among those who have yet to qualify is Phil Mickelson, a runner-up six times in the only major he hasn’t won.

Mickelson said in February he would not ask the USGA for an exemption, and that if he didn’t qualify or become exempt, he wouldn’t play. Winged Foot is where Mickelson made double bogey on the final hole in 2006 to lose by one.

The field presumably will be smaller because of the later date, though the USGA did not mention the field size in its April 6 announcement that the U.S. Open was moving to Sept. 17-20 at Winged Foot, in Mamaroneck, New York.

“As you can imagine, this was an incredibly difficult decision, as qualifying is a cornerstone of USGA championships,” said John Bodenhamer, senior managing director of championships for the USGA. “We take great pride in the fact that many thousands typically enter to pursue their dream of qualifying for the U.S. Open and we deeply regret that they will not have that opportunity this year.”

Bodenhamer said no qualifying provides “the best path forward” to holding the U.S. Open.

The USGA said there would not be qualifying for three other championships it will hold this year – the U.S. Women’s Open (moved to December in Houston) and the U.S. Amateur and U.S. Women’s Amateur, both still scheduled for August.

The U.S. Open, which dates to 1895, had so many players wanting to compete in the years after World War I that it introduced qualifying in 1924. Then, it went to two stages of qualifying in 1959 – 18-hole local qualifying and 36-hole sectional qualifying.

Ken Venturi in 1964 and Orville Moody in 1969 are the only U.S. Open champions who got through both stages. Lucas Glover in 2009 was the last U.S. Open champion to go through 36-hole qualifying.

The USGA had 108 local qualifiers planned in 45 states and one in Canada, followed by 12 sectional qualifiers _ nine in the U.S., one each in Canada, England and Japan.

When the U.S. Open was postponed, 50 players were exempt through various categories, such as past champions the last 10 years or top 10 from last year’s U.S. Open, major champions from the last five years and the top 30 players who reached the Tour Championship last year.

The pandemic shut down golf on March 13, two months before the top 60 in the world ranking would have been exempt for the U.S. Open. The world ranking has been frozen since the shutdown. It was unclear when it would resume because while the PGA Tour is to resume on June 11, circuits in Europe, Japan and Asia have not said when they would return.

The USGA, meanwhile, has lost 10 championships to the coronavirus. It said Monday that four more were cancelled – the U.S. Mid-Amateur and Women’s Mid-Amateur, and the U.S. Senior Amateur and U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur.

Nova Scotia premier Stephen McNeil and Dr. Robert Strang, the province’s chief medical officer of health, have announced the easing of public health restrictions around COVID-19 to support physical and mental well-being of Nova Scotians.

Restrictions being loosened include the ability for golf courses to open beginning Saturday, May 16, 2020, provided social distancing, adequate cleaning and other safety measures can be maintained.

Previously, only driving ranges had been allowed to open, with courses being told to prepare to open.

“It’s been two weeks since we eased some restrictions. What we’ve all been doing is working and I thank all Nova Scotians for continuing to follow public health advice,” said Premier McNeil. “We know people need a break from being shut in. That’s why we’re easing a few more restrictions, while keeping our public health directives in place to fight the virus.”

A phased plan to further lift public health restrictions is under development by the province. The timing of each phase will be determined by the result of the easing of restrictions.

Click here for the province’s return to activity plan.

Premier Doug Ford has announced Ontario’s golf courses can open their tees to golfers starting Saturday, May 16.

During a much-anticipated press conference, Ford stated golf courses, among other select retailers and services, would be permitted to open in time for the Victoria Day long weekend, as key public health indicators continue to show progress.

“During the last several weeks, the people of Ontario have been called on to make incredible sacrifices to help us stop the spread of COVID-19, including staying home from work, closing down businesses and going without a regular paycheque,” said Premier Ford. “However, we are reopening even more of our businesses beginning this long weekend. We are taking a cautious, balanced approach to our economic reopening, to protect the health and safety of everyone.”

Golf courses will be able to open, with clubhouses open only for washrooms and restaurants open only for take-out. Golfers must adhere to social distancing measures, such as staying at least two metres apart.

• THE PROVINCE’S GUIDANCE FOR GOLF COURSES DURING COVID-19

• WE ARE GOLF ONTARIO BEST PRACTICES DURING COVID-19

Two weeks ago, the Ford government said Ontario golf courses should prepare to open.

Golf facilities with questions about potential impact to their business operations or employment can call the province’s Stop the Spread Business Information Line at 1-888-444-3659.

CLICK HERE FOR COVID-19 RULES OF GOLF AND RULES OF HANDICAPPING GUIDANCE

 * Updated July 13, 2020

The COVID-19 global pandemic is a difficult time for Canadians and Golf Canada stands with our entire golf community during this unprecedented time.

We all love the game for the escape it provides and its positive impact on our physical, social and mental well-being.

We continue to urge golfers to follow the guidelines from health and governmental officials to keep you and those around you safe, and to minimize any possible exposure to coronavirus. This is especially true on a golf course, where golfers, workers and operators should heighten their level of awareness on exposure to surfaces like flagsticks, golf balls, bunker rakes, tees, carts and scorecards. We all need to do our part to respect expert advice and make the right decisions to protect each other.

It is not the intended purpose of the below guidance to either encourage or discourage anyone from playing the game, but rather, in our governance role, to help golf course operators, committees and golfers better understand how the Rules of Golf and Rules of Handicapping apply to the various questions received by the governing bodies.

The Modernized Rules of Golf were drafted to offer each Committee the flexibility to make decisions as to how golf is played at their course or in competition and the Committee Procedures section of the Official Guide to the Rules of Golf (available online here) offers a significant amount of guidance and recommendations on how to address circumstances unique to each course or competition.

This flexibility will prove to be very helpful as Committees look to address many of the challenges they are facing within the current environment. While the Committee Procedures section is a tremendous resource and has much to offer, many of the current questions were not originally contemplated under the Rules of Golf and therefore there is no history or guidance provided. To better address the questions that have come about because of these unique circumstances and the related challenges, additional guidance can be accessed by clicking here. This will continue to be updated as additional questions are received.

As active seasons start to open across the country, we would like to discuss impacts on Handicapping.  From the perspective of the Rules of Handicapping, the most frequent questions received are primarily related to the acceptability of scores for posting to a player’s scoring record. In particular, to modifying the hole and not requiring the player to “hole out” as required under the Rules of Golf. These are founded in a desire to minimize the possibility of exposing golfers to coronavirus and have included leaving the hole liner raised above the putting surface or placing various objects into the hole so the ball can be more easily removed. In these specific cases, ensuring guidance from health and governmental officials is being followed, a temporary measure is in place in Canada to accept scores played under these conditions for handicap purposes using the most likely score guidelines (Rule 3.3, Rules of Handicapping), even though the player has not holed out.

Please remember that this temporary measure is now in effect within Canada until advised otherwise by Golf Canada.

For more information and detailed guidance, please contact your Provincial Golf Association or Golf Canada.

TORONTO ― The Ontario government has announced it is allowing certain businesses and workplaces to reopen as long as they comply with strict public health measures and operate safely during the COVID-19 outbreak.

As part of the announcement which took place this afternoon, Ontario golf courses were granted the ability to  prepare their courses for the upcoming season, but not open to the public. The resolution takes effect Monday, May 4 at 12:01 a.m. EDT.

Prior to the announcement, golf facilities could complete essential work that allowed them to preserve  their courses, such as mowing and brush clearing. As pointed out in this article by TSN’s Bob Weeks, additional work such as bunker preparation, gardening, stump removal, hiring of seasonal staff and more, will now be permitted.

There is no specific timeline set for Ontario courses to open their doors for play.

On April 27, the government released A Framework for Reopening the Province, which outlines the criteria Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health and health experts are using to advise the government on the loosening of emergency measures, as well as guiding principles for the safe, gradual reopening of businesses, services and public spaces.

On Friday, April 24^th, New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs announced that golf courses will be included in the first phase of business reactivation in New Brunswick.

In his statement, Premier Higgs confirmed golf courses would be able to resume operations under specified restrictions as early as April 24th, 2020.

• CLICK HERE for the latest COVID-19 Update from the Province of New Brunswick

Golf NB is currently in consultation with the Province of New Brunswick, member clubs and partner associations to ensure the health and safety of players and staff remains a top priority as golf courses in the province open in the upcoming weeks.

Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson are ready for a made-for-TV rematch at a time when fans are craving live action.

And this time, they’ll have company.

Turner Sports says quarterbacks Tom Brady and Peyton Manning will join them for a two-on-two match sometime in May. Missing from the announcement were such details as when and where the match would be played, except that tournament organizers would work with government and health officials to meet safety and health standards.

After feeling the sting of defeat the first time around, Looks like @TigerWoods is bringing a ringer to The Match (#PeytonManning).

I’m bringing a ? @TomBrady – Ready to hit ?’s? https://t.co/ilaqS05QQs

— Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) April 22, 2020

Turner said all donations and fundraising from “The Match: Champions for Charity” would benefit relief efforts for the COVID-19 pandemic.

The event will be televised on TNT, with social and digital content leading up and during the event available through Bleacher Report and House of Highlights.

The first match over Thanksgiving weekend in November 2018 was supposed to be pay-per-view, except that technical difficulties allowed everyone to watch.

It lacked some of wild bets both players had teased, and the trash talking was forced at times. Mickelson ended up winning the $9 million winner-take-all purse in a wedge contest under the lights when the matched ended in a tie.

Live golf was last seen on television March 12, the first round of The Players Championship as developments with the new coronavirus accelerated at such a rate that sports began shutting down.

The PGA Tour first decided not to have fans at the TPC Sawgrass, then cancelled its premier event, and then began cancelling or postponing all tournaments across each of its tours.

Woods was not at The Players. The defending Masters champion has not played since he finished last in his Genesis Invitational at Riviera on Feb. 16. Saying his back did not feel ready, Woods chose not to play the Mexico Championship, the Arnold Palmer Invitational and The Players Championship.

Woods and Manning have played together in pro-ams on the PGA Tour.

The Palm Beach Post has reported that Brady, who recently signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, has joined fabled Seminole Golf Club in south Florida.

 – Golf Canada and RBC will now pivot all efforts towards planning for a celebrated return of the RBC Canadian Open in 2021 – 

TORONTO – With continued public health concerns as well as international travel and government restrictions due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, the PGA TOUR, in consultation with Golf Canada and RBC, has made the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 RBC Canadian Open.

The event was scheduled for June 8-14 at St. George’s Golf and Country Club with Islington Golf Club as the official practice facility. The cancellation of the 2020 RBC Canadian Open also includes the RBCxMusic Concert Series which was scheduled to take place June 12-13 at Richview Collegiate Institute, featuring headline performances by The Chainsmokers and Keith Urban.

“The RBC Canadian Open has always been a rallying point for Canadian golf and while we share in the crushing disappointment with our fans, players, volunteers and many event partners, our primary responsibility is the safety of our people and our communities,” said Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum. “It is now our full intention to push forward together with RBC, the PGA TOUR, the City of Toronto and our host clubs with the goal to bring the 2021 RBC Canadian Open to St. George’s Golf and Country Club with Islington Golf Club as the official practice facility.”

“Our foremost consideration is the health and safety of everyone in our community, including the players, spectators, our staff and volunteers, the media and the thousands of supporters who contribute to the success of our event,” said Mary DePaoli, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, RBC. “The international travel restrictions, required quarantine measures and government mandates were critical factors that contributed to the decision to cancel our event this year. We have no doubt that the incredible momentum we’ve built together with our partners will make the 2021 RBC Canadian Open a world-class experience.”

Golf Canada and RBC would like to thank golf fans across the nation for their understanding and in particular, our  many corporate partners, ticket and hospitality purchasers, as well as the countless volunteers for their continued support through this unprecedented time.

Golf Canada, the PGA TOUR and RBC have continued to monitor the guidelines provided by federal, provincial and municipal government health authorities in order to prevent the spread of the virus within our communities. With this decision, Golf Canada and RBC will now turn their focus towards the 2021 RBC Canadian Open.

Dating back to its inception in 1904, the cancellation of the 2020 RBC Canadian Open marks only the seventh time that Canada’s National Open Championship has not been conducted, including wartime cancellations from 1915-18 as well as 1943-44.

All corporate hospitality buyers will be contacted by their Golf Canada sales representative over the coming days to plan forward for 2021 and individual ticket purchases made via Ticketmaster will be automatically refunded within the next 30 days. The same refund policy applies for RBC clients who purchased RBCxMusic Tickets.

For more information, visit www.rbccanadianopen.com.