COVID-19 spike prompts PNGA to cancel remainder of schedule, including tourneys at The Idaho Club, Palouse Ridge

The Pacific Northwest Golf Association has canceled the remainder of its 2020 schedule – including tournaments at The Idaho Club and Palouse Ridge – due to a recent spike in coronavirus cases.

The PNGA executive committee made the decision at a special meeting late last week, citing concerns with competitors traveling from around the northwest and other portions of the country for PNGA championships.

“The very recent dramatic rise in confirmed cases of the COVID-19 pandemic across the country has forced us to take this late but immediate action,” PNGA president Peter Fibiger said.

The first cancellation is the Men’s Amateur from July 6-11 at The Idaho Club in Sandpoint. The Jack Nicklaus-designed course is expected to host the 2021 Men’s Am.

The Junior Boys and Junior Girls amateurs, scheduled for Aug 17-21 at Palouse Ridge in Pullman, also have been canceled.

Other cancellations: The Women’s Amateur and Women’s Mid-Amateur, both July 13-17, at the Home Course in DuPont, Washington; and the Men’s Mid-Amateur, Sept. 16-18, at Big Sky Club in Pemberton, B.C.

PNGA championships attract top amateurs from Washington, Oregon, Idaho and British Columbia, and the organization offers special invitations to top players nationwide and around the world.

“Up until just this week, we were confident that we would be able to conduct championships in a safe and responsible manner with our COVID-19 procedures,” said Scotty Crouthamel, senior director of rules and competition. “However, with the recent rise in cases in the local and surrounding areas as well as around the country, the safety and well-being of our participants, volunteers, club staff and communities is at risk.”