The PGA Tour has announced the termination of the Players as well as the next three events on the schedule because of the coronavirus outbreak. The late-night choice comes under 12 hours after Tour chief Jay Monahan said that the circuit’s leader occasion would proceed for the following three adjusts however without observers.
Players were advised by means of content at about 9:50 p.m. ET Thursday that the competition had been rejected in view of the “quickly evolving circumstance” with respect to COVID-19. In a subsequent book, the Tour said that the following three occasions (Valspar Championship, WGC-Dell Match Play, and Valero Texas Open) were additionally dropped.
The following competition on the timetable is the Masters Tour, which is scheduled to start on April 9.
“We have pledged from the start to be responsible, thoughtful and transparent with our decision process,” the Tour said in a statement. “We did everything possible to create a safe environment for our players in order to continue the event through the weekend, and we were endeavoring to give our fans a much-needed respite from the current climate. But at this point – and as the situation continues to rapidly change – the right thing to do for our players and our fans is to pause.” Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said
The Tour was confronting mounting pressure following an uncommon day in which almost every other significant game alliance dropped occasions, put their season on pause or pushed back the beginning of a season. One day after the NBA delayed its season after the Utah Jazz’s Rudy Gobert tried positive for the coronavirus, the NCAA settled on the phenomenal choice to cancel its people’s school ball competitions, just as each other winter and spring title.
Prior Thursday, the LPGA reported that it was deferring its next three competitions – including the year’s first major, the ANA Inspiration – as a result of the spread of the coronavirus. Showing up on Golf Channel’s “Live From The Players,” magistrate Mike Whan said of the choice to reschedule the occasions later in the year:
“This is a decision I may not like, but I don’t think I’ll ever regret. I just wasn’t willing to live with being wrong.”
On a sun-sprinkled day and before not too bad groups, Hideki Matsuyama tied the course record at TPC Sawgrass with a 9-under 63 in the opening round, taking a two-shot lead over Harris English, Si Woo Kim, and Christiaan Bezuidenhout. World No. 1 Rory McIlroy was nine shots off the pace.
After his round, McIlroy required all players and caddies to be tried for the coronavirus. When inquired as to whether anybody was tested positive,
Mcllroy said, “We need to shut it down.”
“More than anything, everyone needs to get tested,” he said.
“For us to keep playing on the PGA Tour, all the Tour players and people who are involved need to get tested and make sure no one has got it.”
The Players Championship is the Tour’s head occasion and highlights a $15 million handbag, the most extravagant prize in golf. It was not promptly evident whether the occasion would be rescheduled.
