The LPGA Tour has canceled its March event in China, the Blue Bay LPGA, over concerns about the spread of the coronavirus.
"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," said a statement from the LPGA.
"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."
The coronavirus originated in Wuhan, China, some is 1,500 miles from where the Blue Bay LPGA was to be played on Hainan Island. However, the disease has quickly spread throughout the world. More than 200 people in China have died so far from the coronavirus.
American Airlines and Delta Airlines canceled all flights to and from China on Jan. 31, citing the spread of the illness. With confirmed American cases, US officials are on alert for the potential spread here and have advised Americans to not travel to China.
The World Health Organization has declared a global health emergency.
This was to be the sixth playing of the Blue Bay LPGA. After falling off the schedule in 2019, the event, which had been previously played in the fall Asian Swing, had moved in 2020 to the winter Asian Swing.
