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European captain Padraig Harrington expects this year\u2019s Ryder Cup to go ahead as planned, despite the sporting calendar being decimated by the coronavirus pandemic.<\/p>\nEuropean captain Padraig Harrington expects this year\u2019s Ryder Cup to go ahead as planned, despite the sporting calendar being decimated by the coronavirus pandemic.<\/p>\n
The year\u2019s first two majors, the Masters and the US PGA Championship, have been postponed due to the outbreak, while six European Tour events have been called off and the PGA Tour has cancelled all tournaments until late May.<\/p>\n
However, Harrington believes the biennial contest between Europe and the United States will take place at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin from September 25-27.<\/p>\n
\u201cSeptember is a long way off so there\u2019s no change to the situation at all at this stage,\u201d the three-time major winner told The Ian Dempsey Breakfast Show on Today FM.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know there\u2019s been some rumors and they had to put out a statement to say there\u2019s been no change, but there\u2019s definitely no change.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m on the inside of these things. Normally you\u2019re looking at \u2018anonymous source says this\u2026\u2019 but now that I\u2019m on the inside you go \u2018wow, it really is made-up stuff\u2019.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was a big announcement (on Tuesday) by the PGA Tour about events being cancelled until May and now the PGA Championship has been postponed as well, so that\u2019s as far as they\u2019ve gotten \u2013 until the middle of the May is where they\u2019ve taken steps to.\u201d<\/p>\n
Harrington would be open to playing behind closed doors, saying on Newstalk radio: \u201cI\u2019d be more considered \u2013 wouldn\u2019t we love some sport to be going on now, if it was possible?<\/p>\n
“Most people are stuck at home, wouldn\u2019t we love something to be able to watch on the TV, a bit of sport?<\/p>\n
\u201cI would go down the road if it was possible to play it from a health and safety point of view. Wouldn\u2019t it be great to put something on television for people to watch to bring a bit of something else into the day?<\/p>\n
\u201cBy the time we get to that sort of stage I\u2019m sure there will be some sporting events where enough of the athletes are recovered and can compete behind closed doors.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not talking golf here, other sports, just to give us something to watch on TV.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe all miss the Premiership, the rugby, golf or any other sport. It would be not essential but it would sure beat watching another boxset on Netflix wouldn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it would be odd and strange, and I think some of the soccer matches, there was a bit of that about it, but it would be more about providing a service than the sport.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can see it happening in that situation where as I said players could be checked. By September there will be more ability to test people and more will have recovered.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are things by the time September comes round that we just cannot envisage right now and that\u2019s why they haven\u2019t cancelled it or are preparing to have it.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere really are so many scenarios that can come into play before that crunch time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ryder Cup Europe took to social media on Monday evening to describe reports suggesting the Ryder Cup is expected to be postponed as \u201cinaccurate\u201d.<\/p>\n
It is understood that the European Tour will hold a board meeting next week with a Ryder Cup steering committee meeting a week later.<\/p>\n
Organizers of the Masters and US PGA Championship hope to stage their events later this year, with a surge in hotel prices hinting at a date of October 8-11 for the Masters.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, LPGA Tour player Marina Alex took to Twitter to complain about a room reservation she had for October in Augusta being cancelled by the hotel.<\/p>\n
The October date would clash with the European Tour\u2019s Italian Open and the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open on the PGA Tour. It is also just a fortnight after the Ryder Cup, as things stand.<\/p>\n