The Players Championship hit by ‘virus bogey’

MIAMI: The US PGA Tour has changed course and called off The Players Championship after just one round, the first in a string of several weeks of cancelations because of the new coronavirus pandemic.

“It is with regret that we are announcing the cancellation of The Players Championship,” a Tour spokesman said in a statement on Thursday, adding to a list of major US sporting events on hold because of the global outbreak.

The players were reportedly told via text that the event was being scrubbed due to a “rapidly changing situation.”

The 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.

“We have pledged from the start to be responsible, thoughtful and transparent with our decision process,” the spokesman said.

“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.”

Fans were allowed to watch first-round play on Thursday but were then told they wouldn’t be welcome yesterday or allowed to watch the weekend rounds.

The decision to scrap three weeks of play comes less than a day after the Tour said competitions would go head, but without the fans.

Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said earlier Thursday that he spoke with US President Donald Trump as well as Florida state officials regarding the tour’s future plans.

“The health and safety of our players, employees, partners, volunteers, fans and everybody associated with the PGA Tour is our top priority,” Monahan said.

Taiwan’s CT Pan was the first to withdraw from the Players on Thursday even before organisers pulled the plug.

Pan confirmed he pulled out because of his concerns over the deadly illness.

Golfers teed off Thursday with fans in the gallery kept at a distance and banned from seeking autographs.