MIAMI: The US PGA Tour and the LPGA said Wednesday they were cancelling tournaments scheduled in Shanghai in October because of ongoing Covid-19 restrictions in China.
The LPGA's Buick LPGA Shanghai was to be held October 13-16 at Qizhong Garden Golf Club and the women's circuit said in a statement it hoped to "compete in front of our fans at Qizhong Garden Golf Club in the future."
The PGA Tour announced cancellation of the WGC-HSBC Champions, scheduled for October 27-30 in Shanghai.
It's the third straight year that both events have been cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic.
American Danielle Kang won the most recent LPGA Shanghai title, in 2019.
Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy beat American Xander Schauffele in a playoff in 2019 in the WGC tournament in Shanghai.
"We have worked with all Tours, as well as the China Golf Association, on the viability of hosting the WGC-HSBC Champions this fall, but unfortunately the logistical implications forced the difficult decision to cancel the event," PGA Tour Senior Vice President, International, Christian Hardy said in a statement.
Once again the Bermuda Championship will offer full FedEx Cup points and an elevated purse October 27-30.
The cancellations came after coronavirus clusters in Chinese cities including Shanghai prompted authorities there to order strict lockdowns affecting tens of millions of people.--AFP
