The European Tour is hoping to host up to 1,000 spectators a day at the Betfred British Masters in May, after applying to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport to be included in a number of pilot events aimed at testing the return of crowds to venues.
The European Tour hopes its positive relationship with the government body, which was instrumental in golf’s six-week UK swing last summer, will help the case for the British Masters, which is scheduled to take place at The Belfry from May 12-15
A spokesperson for the European Tour said: “We have applied to the DCMS for the Betfred British Masters to be a pilot event in the outdoor event category and we await their decision. We feel this is an excellent opportunity for golf to show what it can do to stage events during the pandemic. As far as numbers of spectators are concerned, we will adhere to government guidance should we get the green light.”
The European Tour’s Scottish Open takes place in the week immediately preceding that, with a further six UK-based tournaments falling later in the schedule, dates for which have yet to be announced.