By Rahul Banerji
The Hero Indian Open may have been an early casualty, but the ever-growing threat posed by the Corona-virus pandemic threatens to put golf worldwide on hold as it is doing with other sports.
On Friday morning, the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) said it was postponing its schedule immediately after the conclusion of the ongoing Bengal Open in Kolkata.
Earlier in the day, the PGA Tour went a step further in cancelling the Players Championship even though the first day had been completed at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedre Beach, Florida, on Thursday.
And in a grievous blow to the game, Augusta National Golf Club chairman Fred Ridley said on Friday that the 2020 Masters tournament had been postponed to “some later date”.
Not just golf, the cricket control board on Friday said it was putting off the start of the 2020 Indian Premier League to mid-April and the FIA on Thursday called off the season-opening Melbourne Formula One Grand Prix scheduled for Sunday.
In a statement, PGTI chief executive Uttam Singh Mundy said post March 16, all its tournaments stood postponed following steps taken by the Union government to control the spread of the Corona-virus.
Immediate schedule
Immediately, this means the upcoming events in Gujarat (Gujarat Open), Pune (Pune Open), Noida (Delhi-NCR Open) and Chandigarh (Tata Steel PGTI Players Championship) stand suspended.
Mundy said, “As you may be well aware of the Corona-virus (COVID-19) outbreak and with the WHO also declaring it a pandemic, this deadly virus (COVID-19) unfortunately is continuing to affect people across the country with multiple cases being added to the list of those infected each passing day.
“In order to further prevent the spread of this deadly virus, the Ministry of Health & Welfare has decided to opt for a “nuclear” response to the threat by significantly isolating India.
“Apart from the travel advisory(s) issued, the Group of Ministers, Govt. of India also decided to invoke provisions of Section 2 of the Epidemic Disease Act, 1897, such so that all advisories being issued by the Health Ministry are enforceable.
“Under this Act, any person disobeying any regulation or order shall be deemed to have committed an offence punishable under section 188 of the Indian Penal Code.
“Considering all the above and keeping in mind the safety and good health of all PGTI professionals and the entire PGTI team, I much regret to inform that all PGTI tournaments post 16th March 2020 are being postponed till such time the situation allows and the Government declares it safe.
“However, we will continue to take advice from the relevant authorities while monitoring the situation closely before deciding on the rescheduled dates for the events in Gujarat, Pune, Noida & Chandigarh.”
PGA Tour stand
For its part, the PGA Tour said, “It is with regret that we are announcing the cancellation of The Players Championship.
“We have also decided to cancel all PGA TOUR events – across all of our Tours – in the coming weeks, through the Valero Texas Open.
“We have pledged from the start to be responsible, thoughtful and transparent with our decision process.
“We did everything possible to create a safe environment for our players in order to continue the event throughout the weekend, and we were endeavouring to give our fans a much-needed respite from the current climate.
“But at this point – and as the situation continues to rapidly change – the right thing to do for our players and our fans is to pause.”
Speaking on the development, PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan said, “We need to continue to understand what’s happening on the ground in the markets where we would be returning to play, continue to work with our partners in those markets, continue to understand what’s happening with the CDC and the World Health Organization, and then ultimately that will guide our decision.
“We’re going to make sure that we protect the safety and well-being of all of our constituents as we make that decision.”
Also read: Corona-virus forces Hero Indian Open postponement
Discover more from Tee Time Tales
Subscribe to get the latest posts to your email.