The European Tour has moved to postpone two events in Asia later this year due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Both The Maybank Championship in Malaysia, scheduled for April 16th-19th, and the Volvo China Open a week later have been cancelled, though the Tour says there is a possibility they will take place later in the season.
The Maybank Championship and Volvo China Open have both been postponed due to the outbreak of Corona-virus.
Discussions are ongoing with all parties looking into the possibility of rescheduling both tournaments later this season.— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) February 14, 2020
Title sponsor Maybank requested that the European and Asian Tours postponed the Maybank Championship, while the European Tour says it made the same decision with regard to the Volvo China Open after consultation with the various stakeholders and sponsors.
In a statement released today [Friday], the Tour said:
"The Maybank Championship in Malaysia and the Volvo China Open in Shenzhen have both been postponed because of the outbreak of the coronavirus.
"Discussions are ongoing with all parties looking into the possibility of rescheduling both tournaments later this season."
The European Tour's chief executive Keith Pelley said the safety of players, staff and spectators was the uppermost consideration in taking this course of action.
“The well-being of our players, spectators and staff is always our absolute priority. While it is therefore regrettable that the Maybank Championship and Volvo China Open have been postponed, we feel this is the correct course of action at this time. We are currently investigating alternative dates for both events.”
Datuk Abdul Farid Alias, Group President & CEO of Maybank, said: “The decision to postpone the Maybank Championship was made after intense deliberation and careful consideration in the interest of all the players, visitors, working teams and partners.
“The postponement of the Maybank Championship was not an easy decision to make, however, the safety of all stakeholders takes precedence, and we want to ensure that any risk of possible exposure to Covid-19 is mitigated. We will monitor the situation and work closely with the European & Asian Tours, as well as our other partners, as we plan for our return in the future."
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