The Hero Indian Open, co-sanctioned by the European Tour and Asian Tour, is the latest professional golf tournament to be postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak. It’s the fourth tournament on the European Tour calendar to be postponed over concerns due to the outbreak.
Scheduled for March 19-22 at DLF Golf and Country Club in Gurugram, New Delhi, the Indian Open could be rescheduled for later in the year but no definitive plans are in place, according to tournament organizers.
“In these difficult global circumstances, we fully understand and appreciate the recent restrictions introduced in respect of travel into India,” European Tour chief Keith Pelley said in a statement released Wednesday. “As these new measures now prevent many members of both Tours being able to play in the tournament, everyone involved in the staging of the Hero Indian Open felt it was the correct decision to postpone the tournament.”
The European Tour wants to keep its players safe while also responding appropriately to what tournament organizers on the ground are being told by health officials. Two weeks ago two European Tour players were quarantined and forced to withdraw from the Oman Open one player exhibited flu-like symptoms.
Lorenzo Gagli and Edoardo Molinari were eventually cleared to play but only after quarantined and tested for coronavirus.
Here are other golf tournaments that have been impacted by the outbreak:
College
Hawkeye El Tigre Invitational, hosted by University of Iowa women in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, from March 19-21 canceled.
LPGA
- Honda LPGA Thailand in Pattaya from Feb. 20-23 canceled.
- HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore from Feb. 27-March 1 canceled.
- Blue Bay LPGA on Hainan Island from March 5-8 canceled.
European Tour
- Kenya Open in Nairobi from March 12-15 canceled.
- Hero Indian Open in New Delhi from March 19-22 postponed.
- Maybank Championship in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from April 16-19 postponed.
- China Open in Shenzhen from April 23-26 postponed.
Japan
Japan LPGA Tour
- Daikin Orchid Ladies in Okinawa from March 5-8 canceled.
- Meiji Yasuda Life Women’s Yokohama Tire Tournament in Konan from March 13-15 canceled.
Asia Tour
- Royal Cup in Pattaya, Thailand from March 12-15 postponed.
Upcoming events and what officials are saying
WGC-Dell Match Play
March 25-29
Despite the recent cancellation of South by Southwest, the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play is still scheduled to begin March 25 in Austin.
“Based upon current knowledge and their recommendations on planning for mass gatherings, we are proceeding as scheduled with the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play later this month,” the PGA Tour said in a statement last week. “We will continue to review the available information with authorities and take appropriate action as advised.”
LPGA: ANA Inspiration
April 2-5
LPGA officials say they’re monitoring all information related to coronavirus with the CDC and WHO after the tennis tournament at Indian Wells was canceled on Sunday. “We are planning for different scenarios and will take into consideration all relevant information, including the guidance and directives of local health officials in the regions in which we play,” the LPGA said in a statement.
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