Golf-St Andrews Trophy cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic

The 2020 St. Andrews Trophy, scheduled to take place in Wales from July 23-24, has been canceled due to the coronavirus outbreak, the R&A and the European Golf Association said on Wednesday. The tournament, contested between amateur golfers representing Britain & Ireland and Europe, was first staged in 1956 and has been held every two years since.

"We made this decision to protect the health and wellbeing of the players and everyone involved in the St Andrews Trophy," Duncan Weir, the executive director of golf development and amateur championships at The R&A, said. The next edition of the tournament will now be played on July 21-22, 2022 in Slovakia.

The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on the golf calendar, with three of the sport's four majors -- the Masters, U.S. Open and PGA Championship -- postponed while the British Open was canceled altogether. The 2020 Ryder Cup is scheduled to take place from Sept. 25-27 at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin but there are doubts over whether it can go ahead as planned.

World number one Rory McIlroy said he would prefer the tournament be postponed until 2021 rather than stage the event with no fans present.