After being canceled in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, The Open is scheduled to be played in July “with or without spectators,” said Martin Slumbers, chief executive of the R&A.
In an interview with Sky Sports News in the United Kingdom published Tuesday, Slumbers said he was optimistic some number of fans would be permitted at Royal St. George’s in Sandwich, England, and that he is closely observing how other events around the world bring spectators back.
“We will play The Open this year,” Slumbers said. “We are certainly planning to stage The Open, but clearly at this point there are multiple scenarios. We are working with the government and health authorities, and it’s certainly a lot more complex than staging a normal Open Championship, but we are going to do everything we possibly can to put on a great championship for the country.
“I think there’s a very good possibility we will be able to have spectators, but we will have to wait and see how many. We are balancing the health and safety of everyone involved, but I strongly believe The Open needs spectators.”
The R&A decided in April to cancel the 2020 tournament, the first time an Open was canceled since World War II.
Royal St. George’s is the nearest Open venue to London and traditionally draws large crowds. The last Open at Royal St. George’s was won by Darren Clarke in 2011.
This year’s tournament is July 15-18.
Slumbers said he is in communication with other tournaments, including the major championships, to see how they manage bringing back spectators. Augusta National announced in January that it would have a limited number of fans on-site for the Masters in April.
“It’s quite interesting,” Slumbers said. “After this dreadful year that we have all gone through, collaboration and learning are two concepts that we’re all picking up a lot more. So yes, I’m talking to my colleagues at Augusta, I’m watching, I’m learning, and we are all doing that as we grapple what’s going to be the new normal.”