The US PGA Tour has called off The Players Championship after just one round, because of the new coronavirus pandemic, while the LPGA is postponing its next three tournaments, including the first major on the 2020 golf calendar, the ANA Inspiration.
In India, all tournaments of the Professional Golf Tour of India from March 16 have been postponed indefinitely as well.
“Keeping in mind the safety and good health, I regret to inform that all PGTI tournaments post 16th March 2020 are being postponed till such time the situation allows and the Government declares it safe,” PGTI CEO, Uttam Singh Mundy said in a statement.
“However, we will continue to take advice from the relevant authorities while monitoring the situation closely before deciding on the rescheduled dates for the events in Gujarat, Pune, Noida and Chandigarh,” he added.
The PGA tour also announced it was canceling the Valspar Championship, the WGC Match-Play, the Texas Open in San Antonio and the Corales Puntacana Resort Championship in the Dominican Republic in the coming weeks.
The Valero Texas Open would have concluded on April 5, on the eve of the first practice round at Augusta National for the Masters which begins on April 8 and is still going ahead.
The tour had earlier decided to continue with the Players while barring fans, announcing the same plans for most tournaments in the coming weeks. But as concerns mounted over the burgeoning number of coronavirus cases in the United States, officials changed their minds.
The LPGA said in a statement that the March 19-22 Founders Cup in Phoenix, Arizona, the March 26-29 Kia Classic in Carlsbad, California, and the April 2-5 ANA Inspiration at Rancho Mirage, California, would be postponed.
The LPGA schedule had already been hard-hit by concerns over the novel coronavirus that emerged in China in December. The tour’s lucrative early season Asian swing was wiped out, with the HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore, the LPGA Thailand and the Blue Bay LPGA in China all cancelled.
The Coronavirus outbreak, declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation on Wednesday, has wrecked havoc on the sporting calender across the world, putting even the Tokyo Olympics under threat.
With AFP and PTI Inputs
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!