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Professional golf came to a jarring halt last week after the World Health Organization declared the fast-spreading coronavirus a global pandemic. The week ended with Augusta National’s Friday announcement that the 2020 Masters will be postponed, a seemingly unfathomable development that came on the heels of the PGA Tour’s Thursday-night decision to cancel the Players Championship and its next three tournaments, not to mention the LPGA Tour’s prior postponement of three upcoming tournaments, including its first major of the year, the ANA Inspiration. Even at a time like this when almost nothing feels like it did, golf still asks us to play by the simple notion of doing the right thing, and that’s what pro golf did last week, writes Ron Green Jr.
It was difficult not to sympathize with PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan as last week wore on even if a feeling lingered that though the tour had come to the right decision about the Players Championship at last, it should have been made earlier. There was no doubting Monahan’s sincerity. It rang out like a pealing bell, writes John Hopkins
With the decision to cancel three tournaments last week, which was especially difficult given the length of time LPGA Tour players already had been waiting to play again, LPGA commissioner Mike Whan showed uncommon leadership – and with their support, the tour’s players revealed their character, writes Steve Eubanks.
Despite the coronavirus pandemic, the Ladies European Tour’s Investec South African Women’s Open went on as scheduled in Cape Town, with English rookie Alice Hewson winning her first title on Sunday. But both the men’s and women’s European circuits will be on hiatus for the next several weeks.
When the NCAA announced it was canceling all remaining winter and spring athletics due to the spread of coronavirus, hundreds of players across all divisions of men’s and women’s collegiate golf effectively had hit their last shots representing their respective universities, despite the NCAA’s plans to offer an extra year of eligibility to those affected, writes Sean Fairholm.
Despite the disconcerting news that the coronavirus has brought in golf and our everyday lives, the game still can offer relief from the accompanying chaos, this week’s installment of The Divot suggests.
Mike Cullity
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