Tag: Amateur Asia-Pacific Championship

Asia-Pacific Amateur, Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific canceled for 2020

Two of the top tournaments for amateurs in the Asia-Pacific region were canceled on July 7 because of the coronavirus.

The Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific Championship was supposed to be played in mid-February, and as such was one of the first tournaments to go into limbo as the coronavirus began to spread early in 2020. That tournament was officially canceled on July 7, along with the men’s version of the event, the Asia-Pacific Amateur, which would have been played Oct. 29-Nov. 1.

The women’s event was to take place at Siam Country Club in Pattaya, Thailand. After its early February postponement, it was rescheduled for Oct. 7-10, but that is now off the table, too. The 2021 event will be played at the same venue on Feb. 4-7, 2021.

The Asia-Pacific Amateur would have revisited Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Australia – returning to that recent Presidents Cup venue for the first time since 2014 – but a venue has not yet been announced for 2021.

“Our highest priority is the health and safety of our players, officials and everyone throughout the world involved in running these great championships,” said Taimur Amin, Chairman of the APGC. “Given the ongoing concerns and global impacts of this pandemic, we determined with our respective partners that these events unfortunately could not proceed as planned this year.

“My sympathies are with all the players who were looking forward to participating. They can rest assured that, together with our partners, we will continue to provide these life-changing opportunities when it is safe to do so. We are grateful to everyone involved in the staging of both championships for their understanding and shared dedication to our mission, and we look forward to continuing our work together to advance the game throughout the Asia-Pacific.”

Both events can be game-changing for all participants, not to mention the winner. The Asia-Pacific Amateur was established to further develop amateur golf in the Asia-Pacific region. The champion receives an invitation to compete in the Masters Tournament and the British Open, while the runner(s)-up gain a place in Final Qualifying for the British Open.

The women’s version of the event was played for the first time in 2018. Its winner earns invitations to play in the AIG Women’s British Open and the Evian Championship, as well as an exemption into the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.

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Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific event postponed due to coronavirus

The Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific Championship has been postponed due to concerns over the coronavirus, the R&A announced.

The Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific Championship has been postponed due to concerns over the coronavirus, the R&A has announced.

Officials hope to reschedule the championship later in the year. The event was set to take place next week at Siam Country Club in Thailand. The LPGA is scheduled to host an event at the same club Feb. 20-23.

“The decision has been taken amid serious concerns for the safety of players and officials traveling during the current coronavirus outbreak,” said R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers in a statement. “Our utmost priority is to ensure their safety, and the advice we have received in the last 24 hours is that we should not ask them to travel at this time.”

The winner of the Asia-Pacific event receives exemptions into the AIG Women’s British Open, Evian Championship and Augusta National Women’s Amateur.

Last month, the LPGA canceled its event on China’s Hainan Island due to safety concerns. The 2020 Blue Bay LPGA was scheduled to take place March 5-8.

So far the LPGA has yet to announce any changes to its upcoming events in Thailand and Singapore. The tour is currently on a two-week swing in Australia.

Sung Hyun Park, currently No. 2 in the Rolex Rankings, has decided not to play in Asia this spring. Park’s manager said the decision to postpone her start to the season wasn’t entirely due to the coronavirus.

The mysterious virus first broke out in Wuhan, China, in December. Health officials report the latest death toll from the virus stands at 725 globally. There are more than 34,000 cases in China.