THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP has been cancelled after the first round due to the coronavirus crisis.
The PGA have also confirmed the next three events have also been scrapped with the next one scheduled being The Masters in April.
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A statement confirmed on Twitter: “It is with regret that we are announcing the cancellation of The Players Championship and all events through the Valero Texas Open.”
Players received a text from the Tour announcing the cancellation was due to a “rapidly changing situation” and further information would follow.
Commissioner Jay Monahan said earlier on Thursday the final three rounds of The Tour’s flagship event would be played without any spectators.
He has now scheduled a press conference on Friday to explain fully about what prompted the cancellation.
The first round was played in front of spectators at TPC Sawgrass.
Japanese star Hideki Matsuyama was leading at nine-under-par after a 63 in Ponte Vedra Beach.
Now the Players, the Valspar Championship in Florida and the World Golf Championships-Dell Matchplay in Austin, Texas and the Texas Open in San Antonio have all fallen victim to carnage caused by the deadly bug.
And speculation continues to mount whether the Masters will go ahead as scheduled, even if it is behind-closed-doors.
The tournament at Augusta National in Georgia is the first major championship of the year.
The club has yet to make any public comment.
The cancellation of the PGA Tour for the next month means that virtually no major sporting events will take place in the United States.
The top women’s circuit, the LPGA Tour, earlier on Thursday announced that it was cancelling its next three events, which were scheduled to be played in Arizona and California.
