Jack’s Memorial looking to take over 2020 Open slot

The decision by the R&A to cancel this year’s hosting of the 149th Open Championship could be the gain of the Jack Nicklaus hosted Memorial.

The Memorial is due to be staged from June 4th to 7th but with continuing fears over COVID-19, the Memorial event organisers have already been in contact with the PGA Tour with a view to postponing the event.

2019 Memorial champion Patrick Cantlay with Jack Nicklaus (Credit: PGA Tour)

And with the week of The Open, namely July 16th to 19th, now free the Memorial is seeking to fill that spot given the PGA Tour website indicates that week as ‘Potential PGA Tournament’.

“The Tour is looking at probably moving the Memorial to the British Open (week),” said Nicklaus.

“Right now the Memorial tournament is still on and in its regular date. Whether we’ll be ready in the first of June, I seriously doubt it.”

“Whether we’ll be ready in the middle of July, I don’t know but we certainly hope.”

The Memorial was first held in 1976 and with Tiger Woods being greeted by Nicklaus on the 72nd green as winner on five occasions at Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio.

And the tournament enjoys such a stature that the winner is afforded a three-year PGA Tour exemption.

Of course, all of this speculation depends on whether the Coronavirus fears has eased by that time.