Organisers scratch their heads over Memorial tourney

Tiger Woods in past action at the Memorial Tournament. [AFP]

Golf’s prestigious Memorial tournament is likely to slot into the calendar on the July dates of the cancelled British Open, tournament host Jack Nicklaus said.

Nicklaus thinks it unlikely the Memorial can be staged in its original June 4-7 timeslot due to the coronavirus outbreak gripping the United States and much of the world.

Instead, the PGA Tour is planning to postpone the event until July 16-19, Nicklaus said.

The tour’s website currently lists a “potential” tournament on those dates.

“I think they’re looking at probably the British Open (week),” said Nicklaus, who founded the event in 1976 at his home Muirfield Village course in Dublin, Ohio.

Speaking on a cbssports.com podcast, the 18-time major champion sounded flexible and willing to work with the tour.

“They’re looking at probably British Open (week),” he said.

“Right now the Memorial tournament is still on in its regular date. Whether we’ll be ready in the first of June, I seriously doubt it.

“Whether we’ll be ready in the middle of July, I don’t know but we certainly hope.”

The Memorial is one of the biggest tournaments outside the majors, regularly attracting a stellar field and having a major feel played in front of massive and knowledgeable galleries.

It has so-called “elevated status” on tour, with the winner receiving a three-year exemption, one more than regular tournaments.

Tiger Woods has won tournament a record five times. The PGA Tour, as with the rest of the sports world, is having difficulty planning for a resumption given the unpredictable health crisis