STAGING THE OPEN DURING A PANDEMIC

Getting everything lined up perfectly for the 2021 Open has presented an even greater logistical challenge than usual...

- MICHAEL WESTON

When The Open was cancelled last year, it was the first time that golf’s oldest Major hadn’t been played since the Second World War. The R&A explored every option before finally pulling the plug, but the safety of everyone involved had to come first, and it was clear that the Covid-19 pandemic would put that in jeopardy. The decision was made with a heavy heart, but it was the right one – few people would contest that.

A year on, and while life – or sport for that matter – is still anything but normal, we can be pretty much certain that 2021 will give us The Open we’ve all been craving. Getting number 149 in the books was never going to be an easy task. It’s taken a monumental effort from The R&A and its workforce, but together with the local council and support from the Kent community, we’re on the verge of crowning the Champion Golfer of the Year once again. Thank goodness for Zoom.

“We were very far in our planning last year, but we had to make a decision, and it just wasn’t safe to construct The Open,” says Johnnie Cole-Hamilton, who serves as executive director – championships at The R&A. “The construction takes a good three or four months and we realised early on that was not going to be done in time, safely, and we clearly didn’t want to put a demand on the emergency services, who were all very busy tackling the pandemic.