With the PGA and European Tours in a state of flux due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, World No.1 Rory McIlroy has expressed his interest in the idea of The Masters being rescheduled and played later this year.
The Masters is the missing piece to McIlroy’s Grand Slam puzzle and he was set for a sixth tilt at completing the set next month before the event became one of a number that was postponed or cancelled because of concerns surrounding the COVID-19 outbreak.
Augusta National closes its doors during the hot summer months in Georgia but re-opens for members in October, and rumours have been circulating that officials at the club are considering an autumnal Masters tournament, should the golf schedule get back on course.
“It gives us some room for manoeuvring, depending on what happens over the next few weeks,” McIlroy said. “A Masters in the fall, October time, I think it would be pretty cool. It would be a very different look to what you usually see at Augusta.”
“I think it’s definitely a possibility if they want to get the 2020 Masters in, and I’m sure they can make it happen if they want it to happen.” – Rory McIlroy
The four-times Major champion acknowledges that the situation remains fluid and question marks still hover over The Open in July and the Olympic Games, but he remains hopeful that the situation will ease and play will resume at some point soon.
“I’d like to think that we can get a handle on this over the next couple of months, and things can return to some sort of normality,” McIlroy said. “But I don’t think anyone knows, really.”
