Mitchell keeps perspective as U.S. Four-Ball defense derailed

Among the first amateur majors to be cancelled due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic was the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball, which meant that Todd Mitchell and Scott Harvey would have to wait another year to defend the title they won at Bandon Dunes last spring. Jim Benson of The Pantagraph caught up with Mitchell, who is taking a big-picture view as more and more life activities come to a halt. In fact, Mitchell is feeling more disappointment for his son Myles's baseball team, who Mitchell himself coaches. From the article: "My views on competition have changed a little bit over the past few years," Mitchell told Benson. "Obviously I still like competing, but I don't play near as much as I used to. I'm more disappointed for the fact our boys on our baseball team aren't able to practice as a group." "We have a really good group. Now we're probably, until the end of May, done," said the 41-year-old Mitchell. "It's all about the experience for those kids. We had a good summer lined up. It's affected everybody. Baseball tournaments and golf tournaments are being canceled. As disappointing as that is, it's secondary to people losing their jobs." Mitchell, the 2008 U.S. Mid-Amateur runner-up and 2002-2003 Illinois State Amateur champion, understands the frustration of players who were hoping the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball would be rescheduled instead of cancelled, but feels that there are more pressing issues than golf tournaments right now. Mitchell and everyone else will have to wait for the 2021 U.S. Four-Ball Championship, to be played May 22-26 at Chambers Bay in University Place, Wash.