US PGA Championship called off

US PGA Championship, scheduled for

May 14-17 at Harding Park in San Francisco, has been postponed, the second 2020 major golf championship to be derailed by the coronavirus pandemic.

The PGA of America said yesterday they hoped to reschedule the event at Harding Park later in the year.

The news came after Augusta National Golf Club announced that the Masters would not be held April 9-12.

The decision by the PGA of America to postpone the PGA Championship comes as millions of San Francisco residents have been ordered to stay home in a bid to slow the spread of the deadly coronavirus.

Six counties in the San Francisco Bay Area and the city of Berkeley were part of a lockdown effort after data showed 258 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with four deaths as of Tuesday.

“Throughout our evaluation process, we have been committed to following the guidance of public health authorities and given the coronavirus shelter-in-place order in effect in San Francisco, postponement is the best decision for all involved,” said PGA of America chief executive Seth Waugh.

“This is a reflection of a thoughtful process,” Waugh added. “We are and have been working in concert with Commissioner Jay Monahan and our partners and friends at the PGA Tour to find an alternative date that works for all. We are all very hopeful for a great outcome.

“We are also in dialogue with Mayor (London) Breed and her team at the City of

San Francisco and look forward to hopefully bringing the 2020 PGA Championship to TPC Harding Park at a date this summer when it is once again safe and responsible to do so.”

The postponement means a delay for Brooks Koepka’s bid for a title three-peat. The American lifted the Wanamaker Trophy in 2018 and again last year.

Only one man has won three consecutive PGAs, when Walter Hagen captured four straight in a match-play format from 1924-27.

Shortly after the PGA Championship was postponed, the US PGA Tour announced it was extending its own tournament moratorium.

The US tour had announced on March 12 it was cancelling or postponing four weeks’ worth of events – RBC Heritage (April 13-19); Zurich Classic of New Orleans (April 20-26); Wells Fargo Championship (April 27-May 3); and AT&T Byron Nelson (May 4-10) – on all six of its tours through April 5 – the last Sunday before the Masters.

Now it will be on hiatus at least up to the May 10. – AFP

ranging from disasters to war and “states of emergency connected to public health,” organisers were not to be held responsible, the Asahi added.

The report prompted a flood of comments on social media, making it one of the top trending Twitter topics in Japan.

“What – no refunds if it’s cancelled? Are you kidding me?” wrote commenter may_lulu.

Another lamented: “I’ll just bid goodbye to that 100,000 yen (RM4,050).”

Tokyo 2020 organisers did not immediately respond to requests for comment yesterday.

When asked about the issue of refunds on March 11 they said, “Tokyo 2020 has never discussed cancelling or postponing the Games. Preparations for the Games are continuing as planned.” – Reuters