Rory McIlroy would rather postpone the Ryder Cup until 2021 than play it this year without fans.
The coronavirus pandemic has impacted sport across the globe and has had serious implications in golf.
The first two major championships of the year โ the Masters and the US PGA โ have been postponed, although the Ryder Cup is still scheduled for September.
However, in an Instagram Live with TaylorMade Golf, McIlroy said: โI have a pretty strong view on this.
โI get the financial implications for everyone involvedโฆ thereโs a lot that goes into putting on the Ryder Cup that people donโt probably know or appreciate โ but having a Ryder Cup without fans is not a Ryder Cup.
โFor me I would much rather they delay it until 2021 than play it at Whistling Straits without fans. And thatโs from a European going to America, knowing that Iโm going to get abuse!โ
The four-time major champion has previously said he felt more pressure playing in the Ryder Cup rather than in majors.
And he continued: โObviously it would be better for Europeans to play without fans because we wouldnโt have to deal with some of the stuff that you have to put up with โ but at the same time itโs not a Ryder Cup.
โIt wouldnโt be a great spectacle, thereโd be no atmosphere, so if it came to whether they had to choose between not playing the Ryder Cup or playing it without fans, I would say just delay it for a year and play it in 2021.
โIf they do delay it until 2021, the next Ryder Cup is supposed to be in Italy, and we know how badly affected Italy was by coronavirus, so it gives that country an extra year to prepare for the Ryder Cup in 2023 instead of 2022.
โThis is only one opinion but if we have to play the Ryder Cup behind closed doors this year, Iโd rather just delay it.โ