BEIJING -- The PGA Tour is postponing two qualifying tournaments and the start to its PGA Tour Series-China circuit because of concerns over the coronavirus.
On Wednesday, tour officials said the qualifying tournaments -- one of which had already been moved to Indonesia -- would be postponed until late April or early May. The season was supposed to start the last full week in March. Now the 10-tournament schedule will not start until late May or early June, depending on the circumstances.
The season was scheduled to start March 26 with the Sanya Championship, followed by three straight weeks of the Haikou Classic, the Chongqing Championship and the Guangzhou Open. The top finishers on the money list advance to the Korn Ferry Tour.
"We watched and scrutinized the situation closely, and we did not make this decision lightly," said Greg Carlson, executive director of PGA Tour Series-China. "After consultation with a variety of agencies, we determined postponement of the qualifying tournaments and the start of the regular season are the best courses of action at this time.
"This is a major international health issue, and we will do everything possible to ensure the safety and well-being of our players and everybody else associated with these two tournaments."
Carlson said players who signed up for qualifying tournaments have been notified. They will have the option of going to the rescheduled qualifiers or getting a refund on their application fees.