By Brian Wacker and Joel Beall
Five days after Golf Digest first reported that the Open Championship would be cancelled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the R&A on Monday made it official. Originally scheduled for July 16-19 at Royal St. George’s in England, this year’s tournament will not be held, leaving just three men’s majors to be (hopefully) contested in 2020.

“Our absolute priority is to protect the health and safety of the fans, players, officials, volunteers and staff involved in the Open,” R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers said in a statement on Monday. “We care deeply about this historic championship and have made this decision with a heavy heart. We appreciate that this will be disappointing for a great many people around the world, but this pandemic is severely affecting the U.K. and we have to act responsibly. It is the right thing to do.

“I can assure everyone that we have explored every option for playing the Open this year, but it is not going to be possible.”

It marks the first time the Open will not have been played since 1945, when it was cancelled because of World War II.

While announcing the cancellation of this year’s event, Slumbers also revealed changes to the Open schedule for the next two years. Royal St. George’s will now be the venue for the 2021 Open Championship and the Old Course at St. Andrews will from 2021 to 2022. This will allow the R&A to continue to celebrate the 150th Open Championship at St. Andrews.

The announcement also comes just days after Slumbers had released a statement saying that no decision had been made on the fate of the Open, following Golf Digest’s initial report citing multiple sources. “We are continuing to work through our options for The Open this year, including postponement,” he said at the time.

However, sources reiterated the tournament would ultimately be cancelled rather than postponed.

“There are many different considerations that go into organising a major sporting event of this scale,” Slumbers said in the release, elaborating on the decision. “We rely on the support of the emergency services, local authorities and a range of other organizations to stage the Championship and it would be unreasonable to place any additional demands on them when they have far more urgent priorities to deal with. In recent weeks we have been working closely with those organizations as well as Royal St George’s, St Andrews Links Trust and the other golf bodies to resolve the remaining external factors and have done so as soon as we possibly could. We are grateful to all of them for their assistance and co-operation throughout this process.

“Most of all I would like to thank our fans around the world and all of our partners for their support and understanding. At a difficult time like this we have to recognise that sport must stand aside to let people focus on keeping themselves and their families healthy and safe. We are committed to supporting our wider community in the weeks and months ahead and will do everything in our power to help golf come through this crisis.”

Part of the reason the championship is being cancelled—rather than postponed as the Masters and PGA Championship have been and the U.S. Open is expected to be—is because of insurance, according to a source. Similar to Wimbledon, the R&A has a policy that shields against a global pandemic, the source said.

The news also comes on the heels of the All England Club cancelling the Wimbledon tennis tournament (scheduled for June 29) last Wednesday.

The R&A said that it will transfer over tickets and hospitality packages purchased for the 2020 championship to the Open in 2021. Purchasers who no longer wish to (or are no longer able to) attend in 2021 can receive a full refund. More information on this process will be sent directly to ticket and hospitality purchasers in due course.

The post R&A cancels 2020 Open Championship, will play 2021 edition at Royal St. George’s appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Most golfers would be utterly deflated after watching a four-footer slip by and with it a chance to play the matchplay stages of the British Amateur. But Rayhan Thomas isn’t your average amateur.

Far from being downbeat after missing the cut at the 122nd edition of ‘The Amateur Championship’ by one stroke, the 17-year-old Dubai-based Indian is looking ahead with fresh confidence after going so close.

Thomas is now counting down to the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship at Flint Hills National Golf Club in Kansas from July 17-22 and beyond that the coveted Western Amateur to be hosted by Skokie Country Club in Glencoe, Illinois from July 31-August 5.

There is the small matter of his 10^th grade school exams beforehand after they were put on ice so he could play the British Amateur. But Thomas is clearly itching to head to the U.S.

“I can’t wait to get back and start playing some tournaments after this because it gives me a lot of confidence knowing I played really well and can make it at the highest amateur level,” Thomas told Golf Digest Middle East.

“So yeah, just work harder and we can get there.”

Thomas took plenty from the experience on the Kent coast where he backed up an opening one-under 71 at Prince’s GC with a one-over 71 at the Sandwich club’s Open Championship venue neighbour, Royal St. George’s.

The Dubai Creek member looked out of it in Tuesday’s second round when he slipped to four over through five holes as the wind whipped up but battled brilliantly to get it back to even par after the 11^th. A bogey on 12 was then cancelled out with a fifth birdie in eight holes on 14 only for the dream to be dashed by a three putt bogey on 18, sealed by the missed four-footer.

Thomas was one of 12 players to finish the 36-holes of strokeplay on even par and miss out by one.

“The field depth was unbelievable. The cut at the start of the day was one under and it did not move,” said Thomas.

“I thought with the wind picking up it would maybe move to level par, one over but with 288 players one stroke can move you about 40 to 50 spots so I was a victim to that on the last hole when I missed that putt.

“Other than that, I love the British Am, I think it was run brilliantly, the pace of play was superb, the coursers were fantastic. I love links golf. Going forward, not much to do, I felt I played really solid, just had a rough start today and missed one short putt which would have made my week if I’d made it.”

Irishman Caolan Rafferty led the top-64 qualifiers on -10, all of which he picked up in a 10-under 62 in his second round at Prince’s. The score matched Kevin McAlpine’s Amateur Championship qualifying score on the Old Course at St Andrews in 2004 and broke the Prince’s course record by two following Gisli Sveinbergsson’s (Iceland) 64 on Monday.

Richard Finch carded the lowest qualifying score with a 61 at Pyle & Kenfig in 2002.

The post Rayhan Thomas eyes U.S. Juniors after near thing at British Amateur appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Rayhan Thomas is confident he can make the matchplay phase of the 122^nd British Amateur providing he doesn’t do “anything silly” in his final qualifying round at famed Royal St George’s on Tuesday. Are you listening, Dear Putter?

Two late birdies helped the 17-year-old Dubai-born Indian salvage a one-under 71 Monday from his opening round at Prince’s GG, the Sandwich, Kent coast club co-hosting the 36-hole stokeplay qualifying phase of ‘The Amateur Championship”.

It left Thomas flirting with the cut line in a 25-way share of 58^th place midway through the first round. Only the top 64 players from 288 starters advance to the matchplay knockout rounds which run from Wednesday to Saturday at St George’s.

Thomas will want his putter working a little better at St George’s when he tees it up at the Open Championship venue at 5.15pm UAE time (2.15pm UK time) Tuesday. He mixed three birdies with two, three-putt bogeys at Prince’s but at least got it into the red for the day courtesy of back-to-back gains on the 16^th and 17^th.

“I played solid today, hit a lot of greens and a lot of fairways and the putting pace was good but I just didn’t trust a lot of the lines [on the greens], ” Thomas told Golf Digest Middle East.

RELATED: Rayhan Thomas puts exams on ice to tee it up in the 122nd Open

“I think to make the cut I just need to make sure I play steady, don’t do anything silly and just keep playing the way I’m playing because I’m doing good enough so far.

“I’ve just got to make sure not to make any big numbers. I think there are about 250 [288] players this week and 64 make it into the matchplay so I’ve got to make sure every shot counts, even the little ones because one stroke here and there can move you up or down about 40 spots.

“So yeah, just stay patient, stay calm and just play. I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”

Thomas described Prince’s as “scoreable” given a relative lack of wind and the first round scoring illustrated just that; only five of the 31 leading players were playing St George’s. It means the Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club member will have to conquer something special Tuesday to make the cut.

Iceland’s Gisli Sveinbergsson signed for eight birdies, six of them on the front nine, in a sizzling opening -8 64 to lead by one overnight from Italian Alberto Castagnara was also playing at Prince’s. Welshman Tim Harry and South African Jovan Rebula shared third place after six under 66s.

The post UPDATED: Thomas fires 71, on track to make matchplay at British Amateur appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

The need for sun protection was the only thing to catch Rayhan Thomas off guard as he rounded out his preparation for the 122nd British Amateur Championship in an unusually balmy 28 degrees at Royal St Georges’ in Sandwich on Sunday.

“Today was quite warm actually, probably needed the sun screen,” Thomas joked on the eve of ‘The Amateur’ being co-hosted by neighbouring Prince’s Golf Club.

The early English summer mercury mightn’t have threatened the 50+ degrees (Celsius) recorded back at home in Dubai but it clearly helped the 17-year-old Indian No.1 feel right at home on the famed Kent coast links land.

Thomas will take a fun 48-hour, two round reconnaissance mission into his first British Amateur where he tees it up at 9.39am (12.39pm UAE time) alongside Daniel O’Loughlin (England) and Stephen Behr (USA) in Monday’s opening round at Prince’s. He’ll then have to negotiate an afternoon start (2.15pm UK time/5.15pm UAE time) at St Georges’ Tuesday before the 228 strong field is whittled down to 64 qualifiers for the matchplay knockout rounds at St Georges’ from Wednesday.

Thomas played both courses in practice and liked the challenging conditions he encountered, hardly surprising given his love of links golf.

“They’re fantastic courses, really playing like true links,” Thomas told Golf Digest Middle East.

“It’s firm, it’s brown, and sometimes you have to bounce the ball 40 yards short of the green with like mid to long irons and run it up

“I’ve just really enjoyed all the creative shots you can play. You can hit a lot of bump and runs, putt it from 40 yards off the green, hit balls into slopes and try to run it down, release it to the pin. It’s been fun trying to figure out that strategic golf and playing it that way.”

Thomas has enlisted an experienced local bagman to help his tilt at arguably the world’s most coveted amateur title which counts Bobby Jones (1930), Masters champion Sergio Garcia (1998), fellow Spaniard Jose Maria Olazabal (1984) and Italian star Matteo Manaserro (2009) among its former champions.

RELATED:  Thomas puts exams on ice to tee it up in the 122nd British Amateur Championship

“I have a really good caddy this week who knows Royal St Georges’ like the back of his hand, he’s a local whose been caddying for 38 years so, yeah, looking forward to it,” said Thomas who has proven UK pedigree having won the 2016 Scottish Boys’ Strokeplay Championship.

“I think to make the matchplay, I just need to play it solid, take it shot by shot and just don’t make too many silly mistakes because it is going to be tough out there.

“The courses are tough with how firm they are playing  So I just need to keep it steady, be patient and come out with a good score. Yeah, I’m looking forward to it, I can’t wait.”

The post Rayhan Thomas ‘can’t wait’ for 12.39pm (UAE time) opening round tee time at British Amateur appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Rayhan Thomas is to put his important end-of-school-year exams on ice to tee it up in the 122nd British Amateur Championship.

The 17-year-old had originally planned to play ‘The Amateur’ at Royal St. George’s GC and Prince’s GC from June 19 before learning the historic event clashed with his 10th grade exams. But the overtures of the Indian Golf Union and the understanding of his online school tutors means the Dubai-based teen is now definitely headed for the famous stretch of golfing coastline in Sandwich, Kent.

“The Indian Golf Union want to take me and three other players to the British Amateur so we spoke to the school and I can do the exams after I get back. I’m really looing forward to playing at Royal St. George’s,” Thomas told GolfDigestMe.com of the famed Open Championship venue.

The Amateur was first contested in 1885 at Royal Liverpool (Hoylake) where 44 players played a series of matches before A F Macfie overcame Royal & Ancient clubmate Horace Hutchinson 7&6 in the final. Nowdays it is one of the world’s most prestigious amateur championships involving 288 players over six days of mixed stroke and matchplay.

Thomas’ goal is to survive the opening 36-holes of strokeplay qualifying and then take it “round-by-round” in the matchplay which is contested by the leading 64 players.

“Links golf is my favourite type of golf just because you have to hit so many different types of shots instead of the high ball. While it’s not the standard golf played on the European Tour it definitely helps you develop your game and become a more all round player,” the dual Dubai Creek/Emirates GC member said.

After The Amateur and his exams are done, Thomas’ schedule will ramp up as he counts down to representing the International team at September’s Junior Presidents Cup which will be played just days before the senior version, also at Liberty National in New Jersey.

He will definitely play the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship in Kansas in July and possibly the British Boys’ (under-18) again the following month. There is also the not so small matter of defending his historic Dubai Creek MENA Tour title and another MENA Tour stop at The Els Club, Dubai before the exciting Presidents Cup opportunity.

Thomas is happy with his game after back-to-back top 30s in Thailand which followed a T13 finish at the prestigious Junior Invitational at Sage Valley GC near Augusta National. After all the travelling and competition, he was glad to be back on the range Wednesday honing his swing with coach Justin Parsons at the Butch Harmon School of Golf in Dubai.

“We are working a little on shallowing him out [Thomas’ swing plane] and the way that he uses his shoulders in particular to complete his backswing. This will give him a nice, neutral ball flight,” said Parsons.

“We have also talked about getting a slightly lighter, stronger 2 iron in the bag which may be very useful around a links course.”

New U.S. Masters champion Sergio Garcia (1998), fellow Spaniard Jose Maria Olazabal (1984) and Italian star Matteo Manaserro (2009) are modern winners of The Amateur.

Bobby Jones won the title at St. Andrews in 1930 as part of his famous “Grand Slam”. John Ball, with eight wins, holds the record for the most British amateur titles and became the first English winner in 1890. In the modern era, Sir Michael Bonallack won five times between 1961 and 1970.

Hampshire 21-year-old Scott Gregory won the 121st title with a 2&1 victory over Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre at Royal Porthcawl in Wales last June.

Royal St George’s will host The Amateur Championship for the 14th time in its history in 2017.

The post Dubai amateur Rayhan Thomas to tee it up in the 122nd British Amateur Championship appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.