MELBOURNE: The Australia Open will be absent from the sporting calendar for the first time since World War Two this season after Golf Australia and the PGA of Australia cancelled all of their top events on Friday because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Australian golf industry's premier events – the Australian PGA Championship, Australian Open and Women’s Australian Open – were originally to have been played in February.
The 105th edition of the Australian Open - the country`s oldest and most prestigious tournament - scheduled to take place at Melbourne`s Kingston Heath Golf Club, had earlier been rescheduled from its usual slot to November.
PGA of Australia chief executive Gavin Kirkman, ALPG chief executive Karen Lunn and Golf Australia chief executive James Sutherland confirmed all three events would not proceed.
"It`s unprecedented and a real blow for Australian golf and its fans," Kirkman said.
"We have collectively spent months in exhaustive consultation with all relevant authorities and our sanctioning partners to try to find a way to stage all three events safely.
"But even with multiple contingency plans, it has reached a point where decisions have to be made and this, regrettably, is the one we`ve had to take."
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