China announced it will not stage any international sporting events for the rest of the year due to the coronavirus pandemic, putting the fates of two high-profile golf tournaments in doubt.
China’s General Administration of Sports cited “science and order” as impetus for its decision. The country has largely contained and curbed transmission of COVID-19; however, China is on guard for imported cases of the disease.
What that means for the immediate futures of the WGC–HSBC and LPGA Shanghai is unclear.
There is the possibility the WGC–HSBC Champions, originally scheduled for October 29 to November 1, is moved to the United States. But the WGC–HSBC is an event tri-sanctioned by the PGA, European and Asian tours, and whatever move made would need the blessing of all three circuits. There’s also the prospect the event is cancelled and a new temporary event is put in its stead, similar to the situation that saw the Workday Charity Open replace the John Deere Classic on the PGA Tour schedule this week.
As of writing, the PGA Tour has not responded to a Golf Digest request for comment.
As for the LPGA Shanghai, scheduled for October 15-18, the LPGA told Golf Digest that “We are communicating with our partners at IMG and the China Golf Association to learn more about this news. We will share more information when it is available.”
