Porsche European Open moves its date

The European Tour announced that next week’s Porsche European Open in Germany will be moved to Saturday, June 5 through Monday, June 7, becoming a 54-hole tournament from a traditional 72 holes.

The tournament, which will be played at Green Eagle Golf Courses in Hamburg, Germany, was moved because the German government put the United Kingdom on its travel ‘red list’ last week due to COVID-19. 

“The significant travel changes announced last week meant it was simply impossible for us to start the Porsche European Open as intended a week today without unacceptably damaging the field and the integrity of the tournament,” European Tour chief executive Keith Pelley said in a statement. 

Roughly a third of the 156-player field, along with caddies and many members of the European Tour Productions and European Tour staff, can’t enter Germany and must quarantine if they had not been outside the U.K. for at least 10 days.

Moving the starting date of the tournament back two days permits those to spend the required time outside of the U.K. both during and after the Made in Himmerland tournament in Denmark this week, before coming into Germany next week.