British Open cancelled for first time since Second World War due to coronavirus

Tournament scheduled for Royal St George's Golf Club in July will now take place in 2021

No player will be lifting the famous Claret Jug for winning the British Open this year after the tournament was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. AP

The British Open has been cancelled for the first time since the Second World War because of the coronavirus.

The 149th Open was scheduled to take place at Royal St George's Golf Club in Kent in July.

But with the pandemic ripping the 2020 sporting schedule to shreds, the event has became the first of the sport's four majors to be cancelled this year.

Golf's oldest major will now be hosted at the same Sandwich venue in July 2021.

"The Open was due to be played in Kent from 12 to 19 July but it has been necessary to cancel the championship based on guidance from the UK Government, the health authorities, public services and the R&A's advisers," organisers R&A said on Monday.

St Andrews will still host the 150th British Open, but a year later than scheduled in 2022.

"Our absolute priority is to protect the health and safety of the fans, players, officials, volunteers and staff involved in the Open. We care deeply about this historic championship and have made this decision with a heavy heart," R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers said.

"We have explored every option for playing The Open this year but it is not going to be possible.

"We rely on the support of the emergency services, local authorities and a range of other organisations to stage the Championship and it would be unreasonable to place any additional demands on them when they have far more urgent priorities to deal with.

"We appreciate that this will be disappointing for a great many people around the world but we have to act responsibly during this pandemic and it is the right thing to do."

The British Open is the latest high-profile tournament to be axed because of the virus.

Wimbledon was cancelled last week for the first time since the Second World War, while Euro 2020 and the Olympics have been pushed back a year until 2021.

Ireland's Shane Lowry won last year's British Open at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland.

"Obviously I'm disappointed that I won't get to defend the Open Championship this year but I feel the R&A have made the right decisions based on people's health and safety. See you all in Royal St George's in 2021," Lowry tweeted.

Royal St George's has hosted the British Open 14 times, most recently in 2011, when Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke won the event.

Both this year's Masters and the PGA Championship were postponed in March because of the health crisis.

It is believed organisers still hope to play those events later in the year.

The US Open is currently set to be played from June 18 to 21 at Winged Foot in New York.

However, the United States Golf Association is expected to announce a decision on staging the tournament soon.

The R&A says this year's remaining professional and amateur championships are under review.

The European Tour earlier confirmed the postponement of its events in Morocco and Stockholm in June.

The Trophee Hassan II, set to begin in Rabat on June 4, and the Scandinavian Mixed, from June 11, will be rescheduled at a later date.