LPGA loses a major

Evian canceled due to pandemic

The LPGA Tour lost its first major because of the COVID-19 pandemic when it announced Tuesday the Evian Championship in France has been canceled this year.

The LPGA Tour cited ongoing travel and border restrictions, along with government quarantine requirements for not holding the tournament on Aug. 6-9. It will return to the schedule next year.

The LPGA Tour is set to resume in Ohio with the Marathon Classic on July 23-26. For now, it has majors scheduled in August, September, October and December.

The Evian dates to 1994 when it began as a Ladies European Tour event, and it became part of the LPGA schedule in 2000 when it was the Evian Masters. With one of the higher purses in women’s golf, the LPGA designated it as a fifth major in 2013.

In the revised schedule brought on by the pandemic, it was to be the first of three European events, preceding the Ladies Scottish Open and the Women’s British Open. Those two events remain on the schedule.

The ANA Inspiration in California, originally scheduled for the first week in April, has been moved to Sept. 10-13. The Women’s PGA Championship outside Philadelphia is scheduled for Oct. 8-11. The U.S. Women’s Open is Dec. 10-13 in Houston.

The PGA Tour will have only one major in its season, with the British Open having been canceled, the U.S. Open moving from June to September and the Masters from April to November.

Tribute to George Floyd

The PGA Tour is leaving the 8:46 a.m. tee time vacant this week at Colonial as part of a tribute to George Floyd and to support efforts to end racial and social injustice.

In a memo to players Tuesday, commissioner Jay Monahan said there would be a moment of silence in each of the four rounds at the Charles Schwab Challenge that will coincide with the 8:46 a.m. tee time.

The time reflects how long — 8 minutes, 46 seconds — authorities say Floyd was pinned to the ground under a white Minneapolis police officer’s knee before the handcuffed black man died.