AUGUSTA, Ga. — The roars of the crowd will be missing from the Masters this year.
Augusta National says it will not have spectators when the Masters is played two weeks before Thanksgiving. That means all three majors won't have fans this year. The silence will be most deafening at the Masters. The tournament is renowned for its roars on the back nine on Sunday. Tiger Woods says when he won last year, it helped to look at leaderboards so that he could have a better understanding of what each cheer meant. The Masters was moved from April to Nov. 12-15 because the COVID-19 pandemic.
Augusta National Golf Club chairman Fred Ridley released the following statement -
“Since our initial announcement to postpone the 2020 Masters, we have remained committed to a rescheduled Tournament in November while continually examining how best to host a global sporting event amid this pandemic,” said Ridley. “As we have considered the issues facing us, the health and safety of everyone associated with the Masters always has been our first and most important priority.
“Throughout this process, we have consulted with health officials and a variety of subject matter experts. Ultimately, we determined that the potential risks of welcoming patrons and guests to our grounds in November are simply too significant to overcome.
“Even in the current circumstances, staging the Masters without patrons is deeply disappointing. The guests who come to Augusta each spring from around the world are a key component to making the Tournament so special. Augusta National has the responsibility, however, to understand and accept the challenges associated with this virus and take the necessary precautions to conduct all aspects of the Tournament in a safe manner. We look forward to the day when we can welcome all of our patrons back, hopefully in April 2021.
“We appreciate the support and patience of all those we serve – including the Augusta community, our corporate and broadcast partners and our friends in golf – as we continue to plan for this historic event.”
An email sent out to this year's ticket holders explained that they should keep those tickets as keepsakes and that 2020 ticket holder would get an email soon about their new tickets. These being the ones now for 2021.