Golf’s Australian Opens cancelled due to Covid-19

The men’s and women’s Australian Open golf tournaments have been cancelled due to travel restrictions caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Golf Australia had already postponed this year’s men’s event in Sydney from November to late January or February, while the women’s 2022 tournament was due to be played in Adelaide in February.

Australia’s borders are effectively shut and unlikely to open to non-residents until 2022, while the two-week isolation is putting off the nation’s top players from coming home from the US and European tours to support the domestic game.

“The decision has not been made lightly but we believe it to be the right outcome under the current circumstances,” said James Sutherland, the Golf Australia chief executive.

“The international element means shifting quarantine and travel restrictions wreak havoc on planning and, with our marquee players living abroad, the challenge is even greater.”

The men’s Australian Open, previously won by Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman and Rory McIlroy, was also cancelled in 2020 for the first time since 1945.

The 2022 edition will be held at Victoria Golf Club in Melbourne in November-December, before returning to The Australian in 2023

Matt Jones is the defending Australian Open men’s champion from its last staging in 2019, while Inbee Park secured her 20th LPGA Tour title at the Women’s Australian Open in February 2020.

Golf Australia said it still intended to stage the Vic Open from February 10-13, although without international sanctioning.

The tournament, the only one on the world’s professional golf tours where men and women tee off in alternate groups on the same course, is usually joint-sanctioned by the men’s European Tour and women’s LPGA Tour.

The Australian PGA Championship is also set to go ahead in Queensland from January 13-16.