This year's British Open golf championship has been cancelled, while the US Open has been rescheduled for September because of the coronavirus.
2018 British Open winner Francesco Molinari Photo: AFP or licensors
A statement said the decision to scrap the 149th Open Championship, scheduled for Royal St George's on July 16-19 in Kent on England's south-east coast, had been made with a "heavy heart" but was the only option.
It will be the first time the Open, the oldest of golf's four majors, has not been held since 1945.
The Open was last held on the Royal St George's course in 2011 when Northern Irishman Darren Clarke claimed victory.
"We appreciate that this will be disappointing for a great many people around the world but this pandemic is severely affecting the UK and we have to act responsibly," Martin Slumbers, Chief Executive of The R&A, said.
The Open is the only one of this year's four majors to be cancelled because of the global health emergency.
This month's Masters and PGA Championship have been postponed until Nov. 9-15 and Aug. 3-9 respectively.
The U.S. Open at Winged Foot, New York has been postponed with a September date slated, the same month as the Ryder Cup.
It was set for June 18-21 at Winged Foot in New York with the new dates for the year's third major to be Sept. 17-20 also at Winged Foot.
The rescheduled golf majors calendar due to the novel coronavirus outbreak:
April 9-12 - The Masters, Augusta National Golf Club: rescheduled for Nov. 12-15
May 14-17 - PGA Championships, TPC Harding Park San Francisco; rescheduled Aug. 6-9
June 8-21 - U.S. Open, Winged Foot Golf Club, Mamaroneck, New York: rescheduled Sept. 17-20
July 16-19 - Open Championships, Royal St. George's: Cancelled. Tournament will be staged in 2021 at same venue.
-Reuters
