European Tour Postpones Maybank Championship And China Open Due To Coronavirus

The tournaments were both due to be played in mid-April but are now hoped to go ahead at a later date after being postponed due to Covid-19 concerns

European Tour Postpones Maybank Championship And China Open Due ToCoronavirus

The European Tour has become the latest golfing stakeholder to cancel or postpone tournaments due to the coronavirus, known as Covid-19.

Both the Maybank Championship in mid-April and the Volvo China Open, due to take place the following week, have been postponed.

Keith Pelley, Chief Executive of the European Tour, said: “The well-being of our players, spectators and staff is always our absolute priority.

"While it is therefore regrettable that the Maybank Championship and Volvo China Open have been postponed, we feel this is the correct course of action at this time.

"We are currently investigating alternative dates for both events.”

Title sponsor Maybank requested the Maybank Championship to be postponed, the European Tour says, whilst the decision to postpone the Volvo China Open was "taken following consultation with tournament stakeholders; the China Golf Association, Genzon Golf Club, Shenzhen Government, title sponsor Volvo and promoters Mitime Golf."

The Maybank Championship was scheduled for 13th-16th April and the Volvo China Open was due to take place from 20th-23rd April.

The professional golfing world in Asia looks to be halted over the coming weeks and months due to the coronavirus outbreak after many other tournament cancelations and postponements.

These cancellations and postponements include events run by the LPGA Tour, R&A and PGA Tour Series-China.

The LPGA Tour has cancelled three big Asian events over the coming weeks in Thailand and China as well as its HSBC Women's World Championship in Singapore.

Even more events in Asia have been affected by Covid-19 with the PGA Tour Series-China postponing six events including the start of its 2020 season until at least the end of May or early June.

Its qualifying events in Indonesia and Thailand have been postponed as well as the first four events of the season across China.

The two qualifying events were scheduled to be played this week but are now hoped to be played in late April or early May.

The R&A's Women’s Amateur Asia-Pacific Championship, due to be staged this week at Siam Country Club in Pattaya, Thailand, has also been cancelled.

Over 45,000 are said to have been infected by Covid-19 with over 1,100 fatalities in China where the virus originated.

For all the latest golf news, check the Golf Monthly website and follow our social media channels @golfmonthlymagazine on Facebook and @golfmonthly on Twitter and Instagram