Augusta National have announced they intend to allow a limited number of spectators to attend the 2021 Masters in April.
The 2020 Masters was postponed until November by the Covid-19 pandemic and was ultimately played behind closed doors. The re-scheduled event was won handily by current World No 1 Dustin Johnson.
Both the PGA Championship and the US Open were played behind closed doors in 2020, while the remaining major, the Open Championship, was not played at all - meaning Shane Lowry will defend his title at Royal St George's in 2021.
Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley said that by conducting the same safety protocols that were employed in November, the club is confident that it can welcome back a small number of fans for the 2021 event - though no exact number was specified.
"Following the successful conduct of the Masters Tournament last November with only essential personnel, we are confident in our ability to responsibly invite a limited number of patrons to Augusta National in April.
"As with the November Masters, we will implement practices and policies that will protect the health and safety of everyone in attendance.
"Nothing is, or will be, more important than the well-being of all involved.
"While we are disappointed that we will be unable to accommodate a full complement of patrons this year, we will continue our efforts to ensure that all who purchased tickets from Augusta National will have access in 2022, provided conditions improve."
The Augusta National Women's Amateur and the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals are set to take place in the build-up to the Masters as scheduled, also with a limited number of spectators permitted.
