The International Olympic Committee have confirmed the Tokyo Games will start precisely 52 weeks after originally planned due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Games were meant to start on July 24 of this year, but will now begin on July 23, 2021, and run until August 8.
The IOC’s executive board, who met on Monday to confirm the decision, said the Olympics will still be referred to as “Tokyo 2020” despite taking place in 2021.
President Thomas Bach said: “I am confident we can master this unprecedented challenge.
“Humankind currently finds itself in a dark tunnel. These Olympic Games can be a light at the end of this tunnel.”
So what do the new Olympic dates mean for golf?
The men’s golf tournament at the Games was slated to take place from July 30-August 2, with the women’s from August 5-8.
So if we’re assuming the Games will follow the same schedule as was planned, this means the men’s and women’s golf tournaments will take place from July 29-August 1 and August 4-7 respectively in 2021.
The Olympics will, as they would have been this year, squeezed between the Open and the FedEx Cup Play-offs. The 2021 Open will be the 150th edition of golf’s oldest major and will take place from July 15-18.
Which golfers are currently qualified?
- Related: How to qualify for the Olympics
With Olympic qualification suspended due to the coronavirus outbreak, the golf line-up is much different to Rio four years previous.
Defending champion Justin Rose would be set to miss out, as would bronze medallist Matt Kuchar.
Tommy Fleetwood and Tyrrell Hatton are projected to represent Great Britain against a strong field that includes Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry, Brooks Koepka, Francesco Molinari, and 2016’s silver medal winner Henrik Stenson.
Here’s who is in as it stands, courtesy of ‘Nosferatu’ on Twitter:
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While nothing is yet confirmed, it is likely the qualification period will be extended.
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