What will the Open Championship look like in 2021?

Last year will be remembered for many things, but one thing as golf fans we do not want to look back on is the cancellation of the Open Championship. Right now, the 2021 Open Championship is a go – although it will look a little different this year. However, in general, golf has not been overly changed by health protocols, meaning you can use sports betting systems similar to the ones you would traditionally apply when betting on golf.

The details we know about the 2021 Open Championship

The tournament is set for July 15 to July 18 at the Royal St. George’s Golf Course – in Sandwich, England – a par 70 and 7,204 yards in length.  The course was supposed to host the tournament in 2020 before it was cancelled. It is the 15th time the course has hosted the Open Championship. The course was the first to host the Open Championship outside of Scotland – gaining that honour in 1894.

Royal St George’s

The tournament purse is $10,750,000. The 2021 tournament shall feature 156 golfers from the PGA Tour, European Tour, and Japan Golf Tour.  After the first two rounds, the top 70 (or more if there are many golfers tied at the cut line) move on to the final two rounds of the tournament.

The players at the Royal St. George’s Golf Course

Because the tournament is still six months away, we do not know every golfer in the tournament, and we cannot be certain every golfer who qualifies opts to partake in 2021. We do know some golfers who have qualified – including 2020 Masters winner Dustin Johnson,  as well as Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, and Rory McIlroy.

The fans

There are plans to have limited fans at this tournament – with the PGA Tour outlining its plans to allow up to 500 fans per day at select events – which is barely any when considering the Waste Management Open at TPC Scottsdale hosted 719,179 in 2018 (during the week of the event). If the tournament goes through with limited fans in attendance – it is most likely those fans are limited to residents of the United Kingdom.

The Masters

While there have been multiple golf tours in different countries over the last year, the one to look to is the Masters – which will be the first to host two events in the current climate – running in November 2020 and again in April 2021.

The Masters did well in creating a golf bubble for the players and crew. Obviously, there were some limitations, but overall they did an excellent job capturing the essence of one of golf’s premier events. The Open Championship should look to the Masters when planning the event.

Dustin Johnson of the United States reacts on the 18th green after winning the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club on November 15, 2020 in Augusta, Georgia. Jamie Squire/Getty Images/AFP

International travel and quarantine concerns

One issue that the organizers cannot control is if there is any mandatory quarantine for international travellers – either in the United Kingdoms or those returning from the UK. For example, Canada currently has a two-week period where travellers (including Canadians returning home) must quarantine. If this remains in place come the summer -the RBC Canadian Open is unlikely to happen.

The Open Championship carries considerably more importance than the Canadian Open. However, if golfers need to quarantine upon arrival or after returning, you may see some skip the event. Keep an eye out over the next few months for more details on the tournament.