GLENVIEW, Ill. (May 11, 2020) – The 2020 Western Junior and the 2020 Women’s Western Junior have been canceled due to the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, Western Golf Association and Women’s Western Golf Association leaders announced today.
The 103rd Western Junior was scheduled for June 15-18 at Onwentsia Club in Lake Forest, Illinois. The 94th Women’s Western Junior was to have been held June 15-19 at The Grove Country Club in Long Grove, Illinois. The tournaments will not be rescheduled in 2020. The Western Junior sites for 2021 and beyond will be announced at a later date. The next Women’s Western Junior is to be hosted at Aurora Country Club in Aurora, Illinois, on June 21-25, 2021.
“We’re obviously very disappointed that we won’t be able to conduct our two world-class golf junior championships, the Western Junior and the Women’s Western Junior, in 2020, but we feel strongly this is the right decision under these challenging circumstances,” said Vince Pellegrino, WGA senior vice president of tournaments. “Our foremost priority is the health and safety of all those who would have been involved, including players, their families, the club’s members and staff and our tournament officials.”
Jackie Wacker, Women’s Western Junior tournament chairman, added that canceling the tournament was a difficult but necessary decision for the WWGA.
“We waited as long as possible to see if there might be significant improvement in the resolution of the ongoing and unprecedented health crisis we are facing,” Wacker said. “However, we ultimately decided the risk is just too great to have so many young girls and their families travel – many from long distances – to compete. We hope and trust all involved will understand we are doing this out of our care and concern for the welfare of our players and everyone who would be on hand to support them in the competition.”
The Western Amateur and Women’s Western Amateur remain on the WGA and WWGA tournament schedule. The 118th Western Amateur is scheduled to be played July 27-August 1 at Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel, Indiana. The 120th Women’s Western Amateur is set for July 20-25 at Prestwick Country Club in Frankfort, Illinois.
WGA and WWGA officials have been carefully monitoring all information regarding the COVID-19 outbreak and remain focused on the health and safety of players and their families, fans, volunteers, supporters and staff.
“At this time, there are no plans to alter the schedule of the 2020 Western Amateur or the 2020 Women’s Western Amateur,” Pellegrino said. “We will continue to work with the Women’s Western Golf Association and our host clubs to monitor the situation and follow guidance from government officials and health experts and will communicate any updates as needed.”
The Western Golf Association and the Women’s Western Golf Association formed a partnership in 2018 in which the WGA is assisting in managing WWGA championships.
As part of the five-year agreement, the WGA is helping stage and promote the WWGA’s Women’s Western Amateur Championship and the Women’s Western Junior Championship and secure host sites for the events.