NEWPORT, R.I. (WPRI) — The 2020 CVS Health Charity Classic, scheduled to tee off at Rhode Island Country Club on June 18, was officially postponed on Tuesday by tournament organizers. The accompanying CRAVE RI food festival and Pepsi Pro-Am are also affected.
No new dates have been announced.
Noting it’s a huge summer gathering for the region, “Our hope is to determine the best way to keep that sense of community while respecting current social distancing safety guidelines,” CVS Health spokesman Joe Goode said in a news release.
Putting the events on hold prompted no change to the organizers’ commitment to benefiting local nonprofits, of course, and they were looking at ways to continue to support the organizations this year, according to Goode.
COMPLETE COVERAGE: The Annual CVS Health Charity Classic
Alternatives may include rescheduling events or taking them online for virtual experiences.
During the April 5 edition of Eyewitness Sports’ Double O.T. podcast, Rhode Island native Billy Andrade told sports director Yianni Kourakis things were not looking good for this year’s outing.
“I don’t think we’re in a position to gather,” Andrade said. As for the thought of streaming event proceedings online, the spirit of the game is not there if the fans aren’t, he added.
On April 6, the U.S. Senior Open at Newport Country Club was canceled outright, and the Masters was pushed back to November.
Eighty-six nonprofit organizations split $1 million from the 2019 tournament, and $23 million has been donated to charities since the tournament’s inception.
