Graeme McDowell and Lee Westwood urge Boris Johnson to reopen golf courses

European Ryder Cup stars Graeme McDowell and Lee Westwood have backed the reopening of golf courses across the United Kingdom following the government's decision to close all courses in England this week.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson sent England into a third national lockdown on Monday following a rapid increase in coronavirus cases and daily deaths over Christmas and New Year. 

RELATED: GOLF COURSES MUST CLOSE AS BORIS JOHNSON SENDS ENGLAND BACK INTO LOCKDOWN

As a result of going into lockdown, golf courses and other indoor and outdoor sports facilities have been forced to close for the time being.

"Outdoor sports courts, outdoor gyms, golf courses, outdoor swimming pools, archery/driving/shooting ranges and riding arenas must also close. Organised outdoor sport for disabled people is allowed to continue," read a statement on gov.uk. 

Golf courses in Wales have been shut for some time, along with courses in Northern Ireland and also the Republic of Ireland. However, courses in Scotland have been given a green light to remain open to two-balls as it stands. 

A petition to 'allow golf to be played with appropriate safety measures' has been launched in the last 24 hours, and it has already been backed by both European Tour Race to Dubai champion Westwood and 2010 US Open champion McDowell. 

RELATED: PETITION LAUNCHED TO GET GOLF CLUBS BACK OPEN

I think this is something worth supporting in the UK. With correct safety measures, golf is a sport which can easily function in these tough times. Great for exercise and general well being. https://t.co/ph97QBnAFZ

— Graeme McDowell (@Graeme_McDowell) January 5, 2021

It needs to reach 100,000 signatures for the topic to be considered for debate in Parliament, which is exactly what happened during the first national lockdown in the country in March 2020.

As a result of the petition, golf courses were eventually allowed to reopen for play in May under a number of social distancing measures that would prove to be very successful at golf clubs. 

"I think this is something worth supporting in the UK,"tweeted McDowell, in response to Westwood sharing the petition on his Twitter on Tuesday. 

"With correct safety measures, golf is a sport which can easily function in these tough times. Great for exercise and general well being."

England Golf chief executive Jeremy Tomlinson told the BBC today: "In excess of two million golfers could have been looked after here differently." 

He added that the "physical and mental well-being" of millions of golfers could be helped if the government reversed its decision on closing down golf courses during this third national lockdown. 

Should golf courses reopen or has the government done the right thing given the continued spread of coronavirus across the UK? Share your thoughts on our social media channels or visit our YouTube channel.