BMW International Open and Open de France cancelled; earliest European Tour return now July 30-August 2
Friday 17 April 2020 10:59, UK
The Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open has been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, while two more European Tour events have been cancelled.
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The Rolex Series event, where Austria's Bernd Wiesberger is defending champion, was scheduled to be held from July 9-12 at the Renaissance Club in North Berwick.
The European Tour are now looking to reschedule the event for later in the season, while the BMW International Open (June 25-28) and the Open de France (July 2-5) both won't take place in 2020.
The BMW International Open has featured on the European Tour schedule every year since 1989, while the Open de France was cancelled after the French government's decision to cancel all mass public gatherings and events until mid-July.
Keith Pelley, European Tour chief executive, said: "The decision to cancel the BMW International Open, which has been a cornerstone of the European Tour calendar for three decades, and the Open de France, one of our most historic national Opens was made in consultation with our long-term partner BMW and the French Golf Federation respectively with public health and well-being the absolute priority for all of us.
"Both Germany and France have been significantly impacted by coronavirus, and our thoughts go out to everyone affected in both countries, as well as elsewhere around the world.
"In consultation with Aberdeen Standard Investments, VisitScotland and Rolex, we have also decided to postpone the Aberdeen Standard Investments Scottish Open, which is part of our prestigious Rolex Series.
"Discussions about the possibility of rescheduling this event will continue as we look at a variety of different scenarios for our schedule for when it is safe and permitted to resume playing. We will only announce details of these plans when we have clarity on the global situation."
The earliest possible return for the European Tour is now the British Masters from July 30-August 2, hosted by former world No 1 Lee Westwood at Close House, which falls the same week as the WGC-FedEx St Jude Invitational.
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