Ashley Chesters: Open bosses left with no choice

The Open, due to take place at Royal St George’s in Kent in July, has been cancelled for the first time since World War Two owing to the coronavirus pandemic.

Golf’s three other majors have been rescheduled for August, September and November – either side of the Ryder Cup as organisers aim to squeeze the showpiece events into a packed calendar towards the end of the year.

European Tour member Chesters, 30, has fond Open memories. He missed the cut by one stroke in 2014 before a stunning effort a year later saw the Hawkstone Park man finish tied for 12th.

But Chesters, who is using the lockdown period as a rare opportunity to recharge his batteries with his clubs packed away, says the Covid-19 crisis has left all of golf’s scheduling up in the air.

“I’m not sure what to make of it. I don’t know if they’ve had to cancel it because of the daylight when it gets past September but the problem is there are not that many weeks in the year and with the Ryder Cup to factor in as well there aren’t many options,” said Chesters, who had competed on the Tour in Oman and Qatar before lockdown.

“And then there’s the problem about people coming over here from all over the world.”

Martin Slumbers, chief executive of the R&A, said the decision to cancel the even was made with ‘a heavy heart’.

Full refunds have been issued for the event, which was selling well. It is reported that the R&A had pandemic insurance cover to help deal with the financial losses.

“We had an email on Tuesday saying the Masters will now take place in November, but will that go ahead? Will the Ryder Cup go ahead? No-one knows,” Chesters added.

“You factor in the air travel – will they have it behind closed doors? I can’t see that, it won’t be the same.

“But obviously it is with very good reason that they have decided to cancel it.”

Chesters admitted his last memory of competing on the greens before the lockdown was not a pleasant one as he shot five over to miss the cut in the Qatar Masters.

That followed a tie for 50th in Oman, where he carded two under. “I started off quite well in Abu Dhabi but it was downhill after that a little bit,” said Chesters, who is at home, just down the road from his home course in Shrewsbury with fiancée Hayley. “It was the worst I’d played for a while. It would be a lot better if I had a nicer memory of the last time I played.”