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Ryder Cup moved to 2021

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The PGA of America made it official on Wednesday, postponing the 2020 Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits until Sept. 21-26, 2021.

The PGA Tour resumed its season last month without fans, but the Ryder Cup and its rich tradition is difficult to be held without spectators in attendance.

But fans move from hole to hole in mass, following the golfers.  That scenario just simply isn’t safe with the coronavirus in play.

PGA of America chief executive officer Seth Waugh said Whistling Straits is still committed to holding the event next year.

Thousands of tickets for the 2020 Ryder Cup and can be rolled into next year’s event.  Fans also have the option of seeking a refund.

The Ryder Cup in 2021 will take the place of the Presidents Cup, pushing that event to 2022.  The next Ryder Cup, which was scheduled for Rome in 2022, will be pushed back into 2023.

Now the question is, will the world see a vaccine and/or treatment for the coronavirus in time to allow fans to be on hand in Wisconsin for the 2021 Ryder Cup?

Report: Ryder Cup set to be postponed until 2021

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According to The Guardian, the 2020 Ryder Cup, which was scheduled for Sept. 25-27 at Whistling Straits in Haven, Wis., will be postponed until 2021.

The report says an announcement is expected to make it official early next week.  The article said health and safety concerns around the coronavirus, and the fact that holding a spectator-less Ryder Cup was “never a serious option.

The PGA Tour of America was optimistic that the event could be held with fans, but as time has gone by, that has become less and less of a possibility.  Not being able to hold the event fans has sent the event back to the drawing board.

Recently, players like Rory McIlroy and Brooks Koepka among others, have stated that the Ryder Cup should be postponed if fans can’t attend.  Koepka has gone as far as saying he would skip the event if fans aren’t allowed in.

Wisconsin native Steve Stricker is the captain of the U.S. squad.  He competed in the Ryder Cup three times as a player.

The Ryder Cup was postponed once before, after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

Stricker to have more captains picks for Ryder Cup

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Steve Stricker

The COVID-19 pandemic is forcing the PGA of America to change the way they select the U.S. Ryder Cup team in 2020.

Previously, the top eight players were placed on the team based on a points system, with the final four spots on the U.S. roster to be decided by the team’s captain.

But instead of the customary four players chosen by the team captain to fill out the roster, Madison’s Steve Stricker will be forced to make six selections, an crease of two more players.

In a release, U.S. Ryder Cup Captain Steve Stricker said, “After many deliberate discussions, we collectively [Read more…]

Stricker adds two more vice captains to U.S. Ryder Cup team

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Steve Stricker

United States Ryder Cup captain Steve Stricker announced Monday that he has selected Davis Love III and Zach Johnson as vice captains for the U.S. Ryder Cup team.  The U.S. team will face Europe on Sept. 25-27 at Whistling Straits.

Love and Johnson join Jim Furyk as U.S. vice captains.  Stricker will announce one more vice captain before the tournament.  Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Tom Lehman are potential candidates.

Stricker, Furyk and Johnson all played for Love and the 2012 U.S. team at Medinah Country Club.  Stricker and Furyk also served as vice captains under Love on the victorious 2016 U.S. team at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Minnesota.

 

Could the Ryder Cup be held without fans (AUDIO)

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The PGA Tour has already banned fans from the first four events of the golf season in June, but the Ryder Cup?

PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh told WFAN in New York on Sunday that they’re considering that very thing, a spectator-less event in September (25-27) at Whistling Straits near Kohler.

Waugh said while “it’s hard to imagine one (Ryder Cup) without fans” and that “the fans are the Ryder Cup, to a certain degree”, he acknowledged his organization is considering the possibility.

“We have begin to talk about whether you could create some virtual fan experience, and we’re going to try to be as creative as we can,” Waugh said.  “It’s still be be determined, frankly, whether you could hold it without fans or not.”

Some events on the PGA Tour could go without fans.  It’s not ideal.  But the Ryder Cup?  There are many who believe the event should be cancelled if the fans can’t be a part of it.  That includes European Captain Padrick Harrington, who is not in favor of a Ryder Cup without fans.

The Europeans are the defending Ryder Cup champions.

AUDIO: PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh told WFAN Radio in New York that discussions are ongoing :16

AUDIO: Seth Waugh said all events are important, but the Ryder Cup tops the list :22

43rd Ryder Cup stays put while golf schedule sees several other changes

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Whistling Straights

While there’s a number of changes ahead with regards to golf events, the 43rd Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits will remain on the same dates, Sept. 25-27.  Other events weren’t quite as fortunate, facing changes due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The British Open has been canceled for 2020 and the other three men’s major championships have moved to late summer and fall.  The announcements came via news release issued jointly Monday by the world’s major golf organizations.

The PGA Championship, scheduled for May 14-17 at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco will now be held August 6-9.  The U.S. Open, previously set for June 18-21 has been moved to Sept. 17-20 and will remain at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, New York.

The Masters Tournament has been moved to Nov. 12-15 at Augusta National Golf Club.

The Royal & Ancient decided to cancel the Open Championship in 2020 and will be played at Royal St. George’s in 2021.

The Ryder Cup will immediately follow the U.S. Open.  Madison’s Steve Stricker will captain the U.S. squad.

Stricker won’t get the chance to defend his U.S. Senior Open title.  The U.S. Golf Association canceled that championship for 2020.  Stricker won the 2019 U.S. Senior Open by six strokes at Warren Golf Course in South Bend, Indiana.

The U.S. Senior Women’s Open has also been cancelled.

Golf course designer Pete Dye passes

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One of the great golf design minds, World Golf Hall of Famer Pete Dye passed away at the age of 94.

Dye designed Blackwolf Run and Whistling Straits near Kohler.  He also designed Florida’s TPC Sawgrass,  home of The Players Championship and Kiawah Island in South Carolina, which has hosted both a PGA Championship and a Ryder Cup.

One of his most famous creations was the 17th-hole island green at TPC Sawgrass.

Whistling Straits will host the 2020 Ryder Cup later this year.

 

Stricker to be named Ryder Cup Captain

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Steve Stricker

The PGA of America has scheduled a news conference for Wednesday morning at Fiserv Forum to announce what has been assumed for some time now.

According to Gary D’Amato of Wisconsin.Golf, Madison’s Steve Stricker will be announced as the captain of the 2020 United States Ryder Cup team.

Stricker has served as a Ryder Cup assistant captain and will now lead the U.S. squad at Whistling Straits near Kohler from Sept. 25-27, 2020.

The Ryder Cup, held every other year, has never taken place on Wisconsin soil.

The 51-year-old Stricker has won 12 PGA Tour events, as well as three PGA Tour Champions events.  Stricker never won a major, but he did finish second at the PGA Championship in 1998 and has 13 top-10 finishes in majors.

Stricker is widely respected by his peers in the world of golf but will be the first U.S. captain without a major championship.

Europe has won four of the last five Ryder Cups, including last year’s event in France.

 

Stricker comes out of PGA Championship encouraged (AUDIO)

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Steve Stricker

Steve Stricker

Madison’s Steve Stricker was met with a standing ovation on Sunday as he walked up the 18th fairway at Whistling Straits for the final time.  Wisconsin golf fans showed their appreciation for Stricker, who shot a final-round two-under-par 70 to finish four shots under par at the 97th PGA Championship.

Stricker got off to a good start during his final round on Sunday, climbing to five-under-par  through 12 holes.  He birdied ten, eleven and twelve but he ran into trouble from there and was unable to regain his momentum.

Stricker heads into the offseason feeling much better about his future and after playing a limited schedule (9 starts this year), he hopes to play in more events next season.  Stricker said his next event probably won’t come until December when he’ll likely play in the Shark Shootout in Florida. [Read more…]

PGA Championship news

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Ryan Helminen

Ryan Helminen

Practice rounds continue today at Whistling Straits in preparation for the start of the 97th P-G-A Championship on Thursday.

Defending champion Rory McIlroy has declared himself 100-percent, as he gets ready to defend his title.

The World-Number-One has not played competitive golf since the U-S Open in mid-June.  In early July, McElroy injured left ankle ligaments while playing soccer with friends.

McIlroy arrived in Haven early, playing a couple of practice rounds over the weekend.

Former Badger Ryan Helminen, who is a teaching pro out of Ridgeway Country Club in Neenah, is in the PGA Field for the second straight year.  He missed the cut last year at Valhalla by 1-stroke and vows to play on the weekend this year.

AUDIO: Ryan Helminen on correcting mistakes from last year :21

Helminen gets the honor of taking the first swing of the tournament at 6:45 a.m. Thursday on No. 1 with playing partners Rory Sabbatini and Chesson Hadley.