Reports suggest Ryder Cup will be pushed back to 2021

The PGA of America announced this week that the PGA Championship in August would go ahead as usual but without spectators.

However, it seems the 2020 Ryder Cup, due to be played in late September, may not be so lucky with The Guardian reporting that news of the tournament’s postponement may be announced as early as next week.

Rory McIlroy plays with the crowd at the 2016 Ryder Cup (Credit: PGA Tour)

A tournament without spectators isn’t an ideal situation for anyone involved but when it comes to the Ryder Cup, the fans are what make the tournament so special for both sides.

Can you imagine the Ryder Cup at Le Golf National without the enormous crowds lining each and every fairway and green? Over 270,000 fans from 90 countries helped drive Europe to take back the trophy with a 17½–10½ victory over the US.

Similar crowd sizes turned up at Hazeltine National Golf Club for the 2016 Ryder Cup where the patriotic US fans pushed the home-side to secure the trophy for the first time since 2008. The fans are an integral part of the process, with players from both sides feeding off the adrenaline on every hole.

A push back to 2021 will see the tournament return to its traditional odd-year timeslot. The event was previously delayed following the attacks on the World Trade Centre in September 2001, just weeks before its scheduled date.

The move will also see the Cup shift away from taking place just a month after the Olympics in alternate years.

The Presidents Cup may become a casualty of the delayed Ryder Cup with reports suggesting the biennial event will move back to even-years starting with 2022.