The LPGA Tour’s Blue Bay LPGA event in Hainan, China, has been cancelled due to concerns arising from the novel coronavirus outbreak.
The LPGA released a statement citing health concerns and travel restrictions as the reasons behind the decision to cancel the event, originally scheduled to take place on March 5-8 at the Jian Lake Blue Bay Golf Club.
The statement reads as follows:
“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.”
The Blue Bay LPGA was inaugurated in 2014 but was not staged last year as the LPGA decided to move it from a late season date to early in the year.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) recently declared the coronavirus outbreak as a global emergency, with 10,000 infections in China and more than 200 deaths so far. WHO also noted that have been close to 100 cases in 18 other countries, but no deaths so far. The outbreak began last December in Wuhan city, the capital of Hubei province in central China.
