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Toronto city permit pull has PGA Canadian Open reassessing

golf01 April 2020 14:45| © AFP
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Canadian Open © Getty Images

Organisers of the US PGA Tour's Canadian Open, the final tuneup for June's US Open, were reassessing options on Wednesday in the wake of Toronto city officials canceling event permits.

World number one Rory McIlroy is the defending champion at the Canadian Open, the longest-running tour event outside the US and British Opens, dating to 1904.

Toronto officials voided all event permits and access to city services through June 30 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

That would not impact pro sports teams or Toronto's IndyCar race, set for July 12 on the city streets, but would hit the Canadian Open, set for June 11-14 at St George's Golf and Country Club.

"Together with the PGA Tour, we are assessing this recent development along with other challenges posed by Covid-19 to determine the best course of action for the Canadian Open," the tournament announced in a statement on Tuesday night.

"We will make further announcements in the coming week."

For now, it's set to be the last tour stop before the US Open, scheduled for June 18-21 at Winged Foot in suburban New York, the hardest hit US city by the deadly disease.

"We appreciate the factors that led to this decision, in particular that all city resources are being directed to support our communities during this unprecedented health crisis," the Canadian Open statement said.

The next scheduled US PGA Tour event is May 21-24, the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial, followed by a stop in Detroit and the Memorial tournament, hosted by 18-time major winner Jack Nicklaus, at Dublin, Ohio, the week before the Canadian Open.

The only years the Canadian Open was not played were 1943-44 due to World War II and 1915-18 due to World War I.

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