The Augusta National Golf Club, one of the most famous in the US where the postponed PGA Masters is played, announced on Monday that it will donate two million dollars to help combat the pandemic.

This year's Masters, which was supposed to attract golfers and fans from around the world to the famous Georgia field next week, has been indefinitely postponed due to the global outbreak of the deadly virus.

The donation to the Central Savannah River Area Community Foundation offers one million to Augusta University for immediate expansion of coronavirus testing and another million to the emergency response fund to help the most vulnerable people in the area.

"It is our hope that these donations will help address the many challenges caused by the coronavirus throughout the city of Augusta and the region," said Augusta National President Fred Ridley.

Ridley added that "we believe that Augusta National has an important responsibility to support and protect the community that has supported us so generously and consistently for many years."

The only previous years that the Masters has not been played in April at Augusta National since its debut in 1934 were 1943-1945 due to World War II. (D)