Scottish Golf CANCELS all 2020 events

Historically, this week would have seen the domestic amateur season get underway in Scotland with the staging of the Scottish Boys’ Championship.

Instead, this year, there will be no season. 

Scottish Golf has today confirmed that it has cancelled all of it events and performance programmes for the remainder of the 2020 season as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

The outbreak had already taken a significant toll on the calendar, with high-profile UK amateur events such as the Lytham Trophy cancelled and others, including the Brabazon Trophy, Amateur Championship, Women’s Amateur Championship and Curtis Cup all postponed. 

In light of all this, Scottish Golf has taken the difficult decision to scrap its entire 2020 calendar.

In a statement, the chair of the organisation, Eleanor Cannon, also revealed that the majority of Scottish Golf’s staff have been put on the Government’s furlough scheme.

“This is the most difficult time we have all had to face in a generation, both personally and professionally,” said Cannon. “All of us have been affected by COVID-19 either directly or indirectly.

“For now, it is a time to pull together. As a community, we represent so much more than golf. Together, locally, we represent camaraderie, friendship, and support. 

“We are all pulling together in the golf clubs that we love, reaching out to each other, making sure that our golfing friends who are on their own and vulnerable are being looked after and feel supported by their club and their fellow members.” 

Cannon added: “I recognise that, for each of our 575 affiliated clubs, our committees, employees and members, it is a time of uncertainty and stress. Tough decisions are being taken by your management teams so that your clubs can re-open their doors in as strong a position as is possible. Clubs need their members more than ever to support their them financially so that they can survive the lockdown in an already tough market, and so that we each have our club to come back to.

“We continue to liaise with sportscotland and the Government and we will ensure that we communicate with you as and when decisions about the game are made.

“In time we will all get back out there onto our courses. For now, we must look after each other and the communities that our clubs serve. Once we can start playing the game we love again, we will all work together to re-establish golf as the life blood of our communities.”