It’s a tradition unlike any other, The Masters.

We won’t be playing the tournament this month, though, it’s being moved back to November as a result of the COVID-19 crisis, which is really screwing things up right now.

Here’s the full statement via Chairman Fred Ridley, with the key portions in bold:

On March 13, we announced the postponement of the Masters Tournament and the Augusta National Women’s Amateur based upon the risks associated with the Coronavirus COVID-19, a pandemic that continues to impact lives everywhere.

We remain very mindful of the extraordinary and unprecedented challenges presented by the Coronavirus around the world. As such, we continue to keep in close contact with local, state and national health authorities to help inform our decisions.

In collaboration with the leading organizations in golf, Augusta National Golf Club has identified November 9-15 as the intended dates to host the 2020 Masters. While more details will be shared in the weeks and months to come, we, like all of you, will continue to focus on all mandated precautions and guidelines to fight against the Coronavirus. Along the way, we hope the anticipation of staging the Masters Tournament in the fall brings a moment of joy to the Augusta community and all those who love the sport.

We want to emphasize that our future plans are incumbent upon favorable counsel and direction from health officials. Provided that occurs and we can conduct the 2020 Masters, we intend to invite those professionals and amateurs who would have qualified for our original April date and welcome all existing ticket holders to enjoy the excitement of Masters week.

After careful consideration and following an extensive review process, we also have made the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 Augusta National Women’s Amateur. Ultimately, the many scheduling challenges with NCAA tournaments, the World Amateur Team Championships, the LPGA Q-Series and other events when women’s amateur golf resumes led to this decision.

Each player who accepted an invitation for the 2020 championship will be invited to compete in the 2021 Augusta National Women’s Amateur, provided she remains an amateur. Also, those who purchased tickets will be sent a refund in May and given the opportunity to purchase tickets for the event next year. We thank everyone for their understanding of this decision, and we look forward to the championship returning in full strength next spring.

We know the effects of these announcements will be far-reaching. Additional information will be made available on Masters.com and ANWAgolf.com as details become known. Your patience is appreciated as we hope and plan for the 84th Masters this November.

Thank you for your continued support and we wish you and your loved ones health and safety during these uncertain times.

I lived in Augusta for two years and can tell you that The Masters runs that town. It’s an incredible weekend, where a small city on the Savannah River transforms into something completely different, like they’re hosting the Super Bowl for one week out of every year. Locals take seven days off and bug out to Hilton Head or Savannah while the tournament is running.

One of the interesting things is that college football could be up and running by then, meaning that The Masters, the Georgia Bulldogs, and the South Carolina Gamecocks could all be on television on the same day. This would be unprecedented, perhaps the biggest day in the history of Augusta, GA.

Joe pulled up the schedule for reference here:

https://twitter.com/JTansey90/status/1247182271938994177?s=20