Tag: coronavirus

LPGA cancels two more tournaments in Asia due to coronavirus

The threat of coronavirus forced the LPGA to cancel two more events on the tour’s Asia swing.

The LPGA has canceled its upcoming events in Thailand and Singapore due to concerns over the coronavirus. The tour has now canceled all three events on its Asian swing, having previously canceled the event on China’s Hainan Island.

“Due to the continued health concerns and recent advisories in some Asian countries that large-scale events should be cancelled or postponed as a result of the coronavirus,” a statement read, “the LPGA and its partners have made the decision to cancel the 2020 Honda LPGA Thailand, which was scheduled to take place February 20-23 in Pattaya, Thailand, and the 2020 HSBC Women’s World Championship, which was scheduled to take place February 27-March 1 in Singapore.”

The tour indicated that it has no plans to reschedule the events later in 2020. Both limited-field events were run by IMG.

After this week’s ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open, the LPGA will have a month-long break before the Volvik Founders Cup March 19-22 in Phoenix.

On Saturday, the R&A announced that the Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific Championship had been postponed due to concerns over the virus. Officials hope to host the event later in the year.

Chinese government officials have confirmed more than 40,000 cases in the country and 908 people have died.

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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.

Rams cancel trip to China with Taylor Rapp over coronavirus concerns

The Rams and Taylor Rapp had planned to go to China next week.

Taylor Rapp has quickly become a role model for the Los Angeles Rams, specifically in the Asian community. Being a Chinese American, Rapp wants to “show that Asians can play,” encouraging young athletes to pursue their dreams.

That campaign was supposed to continue abroad in China next week, with the Rams and Rapp traveling to Beijing and Shanghai for nearly two weeks. However, due to concerns over the coronavirus outbreak, that trip has been canceled.

The trip could take place at some point, but now plans have been set.

Here was the original announcement from Rapp and the Rams on Twitter.

It’s disappointing, but it’s simply impossible for the Rams to take this trip. The U.S. has closed travel to China and airlines have canceled flights there in hopes of containing the virus.

There are more than 24,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus around the world with nearly 500 deaths reported as a result of it. Only two of those deaths have been outside of China.

The Rams have been rumored as a team that could play a game in China in the future, and this planned trip increased speculation that a game could happen at some point. For now, those plans will be put on hold until the virus is contained.

Coronavirus no threat to Beterbiev-Meng bout on March 28

Artur Beterbiev doesn’t have to worry about the coronavirus when he takes on Chinese contender Fanlong Meng on March 28 in Montreal.

The fists of light heavyweight titleholder Artur Beterbiev knock out opponents inside the ring but are useless against the deadly coronavirus that has killed more than 400 people and infected 20,000 others worldwide.

There were concerns in some corners that the novel virus, which originated in the city of Wuhan, China, would lead to the cancellation of Beterbiev’s projected defense of his two titles against Chinese challenger Fanlong Meng on March 28 in Quebec City. A formal announcement of the bout is pending. 

Yvon Michel, who is working with Beterbiev promoter Top Rank to stage the fight, told The Montreal Journal that Meng’s promoter Dino Duva assured him that his charge has had virtually no chance of contracting the virus. 

“I contacted Meng’s promoter (Dino Duva) when the very first cases of death from the coronavirus had been announced,” Michel told the newspaper. “He quickly assured me that his boxer had been living in New Jersey for the past few years and that he had not returned to China for some time.”

Most of the coronavirus cases have occurred in China. The infectious disease has spread to at least 23 countries, according to multiple reports.

“Our lawyers are already working to obtain a visa for Meng,” Michel added. “We would love to have him be present for our press conference launching the fight.”

Top Rank canceled its Feb. 1 card in Haikou, China featuring a junior welterweight title fight between Jose Ramirez and Viktor Postol out of concern for the virus outbreak.

Beterbiev-Meng was supposed to take place in China after Chinese promoter LoveJoy Sports turned in the winning bid to the IBF. But after failing to make timely payments to the sanctioning body, the rights to the bout reverted to the second highest bidder, Top Rank. There were also concerns that Beterbiev, who is Muslim, would boycott the fight if it took place in China because of that country’s appalling treatment of Uighur, an ethnically Turkic Muslim minority group living in the westernmost province of Xinjiang.

Beterbiev (15-0, 15 KOs) unified the WBC and IBF light heavyweight titles when he stopped then titleholder Oleksandr Gvozdyk in the 10th round last October.

Meng (16-0, 10 KOs), who represented China at the 2012 London Olympics, fought twice in 2019, picking up wins over Gilberto Rubio and Adam Deines.

Xinjun Zhang to play weekend in Phoenix with mind on China

Xinjun Zhang is playing the Waste Management Phoenix Open this week but he is certainly doing so with thoughts of home.

Xinjun Zhang is playing the Waste Management Phoenix Open this week but he is certainly doing so with thoughts of home.

Zhang is from China, the nation hit the hardest so far by the recent coronavirus outbreak.

Zhang shot 69 in the first round at TPC Scottsdale but followed that up with a 1-over 72 on Friday. He is sitting at 1 under overall, two shots within the projected cut for the weekend.

After his round, he talked about focusing on golf while also keeping an eye on the situation back home.

PHOENIX OPEN: Scores | Tee times, TV info | Updates | Photos

“It’s something we’ve been following very closely and obviously sympathy to the families over there. It’s something that we’re hoping will pass through soon. We have belief in China as a country they can overcome this virus soon,” Zhang said through his caddie and interpreter Yuan Liu.

Xinjun Zhang and his caddie Yuan Liu. Photo by Orlando Ramirez/USA TODAY Sports

Zhang talked about feeling a bit helpless, being so far from some of his family members.

“Definitely feel a little like that,” Zhang said through Liu. “Actually, this week when we first got to Arizona, we went to three different stores to try to purchase some of the masks, medical masks, not only for ourselves but to send some back, because there’s a very, very low supply back in China right now and even here in the states, here in Phoenix, they’re all out of stock, so definitely feeling a little bit of helplessness.”

Zhang said he has reached out to family with more frequency the last several days.

“Definitely contacting family a lot, almost daily and really just telling them how important it is to stay indoors when you can, stay home when you can. If you do have to go out, have protective masks. And just have belief in China as a country to overcome this as soon as possible.”

Zhang, 32, is married with two children and has been on the PGA Tour since 2018. He has two Korn Ferry Tour wins as well as two PGA Tour China victories.

He finished T-55 last week at the Farmers Insurance Open. Before that he had missed three straight cuts.

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Coronavirus: What tour officials are doing to protect players, patrons at future Chinese events

With the coronavirus spreading quickly, the global health crisis could have a continued impact on professional golf.

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Friday’s news of both Delta and American Airlines temporarily canceling all flights to China, the first domestic carriers to do so, due to concerns over the coronavirus outbreak is just the latest in the developing crisis.

The outbreak has infected nearly 10,000 people and killed more than 200 as of Friday morning. Although all of the deaths and the majority of the infected cases have occurred in China, the virus has spread to more than 20 countries so far, including the United States. With the coronavirus spreading quickly, the global health crisis could have a continued impact on professional golf.

On Wednesday the LPGA canceled the upcoming Blue Bay LPGA, scheduled to be held on China’s Hainan Island on March 5-8.

In less than three months, the European Tour is scheduled to play the Volvo China Open at Genzon Golf Club in Shenzhen on April 23-26.

On the Volvo China Open’s future, a spokesperson for the European Tour told Golfweek:

“We are in regular contact with the appropriate Chinese and international authorities to ensure we have the latest health and safety and travel advice. The Volvo China Open from April 23-26 in Shenzhen remains on our schedule, but we are continuing to monitor the situation closely. As with all our tournaments, the well-being of players, spectators and staff remains our absolute priority.”

Later in the year, the European Tour and PGA Tour have the 2020 WGC-HSBC Champions scheduled for Oct. 29-Nov. 1 at Sheshan International Golf Club in Shanghai, while the LPGA is scheduled to play the Buick LPGA Shanghai Oct. 15-18.

The LPGA had this to say on the cancellation of the Blue Bay LPGA:

“Given the current health concerns and significant travel restrictions put in place due to the coronavirus in China, the LPGA along with our partners in China have made the decision to cancel the 2020 Blue Bay LPGA, which was scheduled to take place March 5-8 on Hainan Island. Any time you cancel an event, it is a difficult decision and we appreciate how hard our title partner (Blue Bay), IMG, the China LPGA and the China Golf Association have worked to host an incredible event. The health and safety of our players, fans and everyone working on the event is always our highest priority. While we are disappointed that the tournament won’t take place this season, we look forward to going back to Blue Bay in 2021 and for many years to come.”

While both tours remain committed to their future respective events and the safety of their players and patrons, the consequences of the coronavirus outbreak on the game of golf may just be starting.

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LPGA cancels March event in China due to coronavirus outbreak

The upcoming Blue Bay LPGA, held on China’s Hainan Island, has been canceled due to concerns over the coronavirus outbreak.

The LPGA’s spring Asia swing will be one tournament short in 2020. The upcoming Blue Bay LPGA, held on China’s Hainan Island, has been canceled due to concerns over the coronavirus outbreak, according to multiple sources with direct knowledge of the situation, who spoke to Golfweek on the condition of anonymity because it hasn’t been officially announced.

The event was scheduled to take place March 5-8, immediately following the HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore. The tournament was not held in 2019 due to the transition of moving it on the calendar from the fall to the spring. The event had a $2.1 million purse. Gaby Lopez won the title in 2018.

The death toll in China has surpassed 130 people, according to reports, and more than 6,000 people have fallen ill. There is no vaccine for the virus.

After an off week, the LPGA heads to Australia for two events before traveling to Thailand.

The LPGA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.