SM
Arsenal vs. Chelsea: 5 hrs 16 mins
Upcoming predictions and previews

LPGA chief refusing to rush return to action

:Headline: LPGA chief refusing to rush return to action: ID:395331: from db_amp
The next five LPGA Tour events have been postponed or cancelled.

Commissioner Mike Whan says the LPGA Tour will not resume after the coronavirus pandemic until the majority of international players are able to compete in tournaments.

It was announced earlier on Friday that the US Women's Open, scheduled to take place in Houston in June, had been postponed until December, as part of a move that saw the next five LPGA events postponed or cancelled.

Once golf resumes after the Covid-19 crisis, international travel is likely to prove an issue for some players and Whan insists that no events will be played until the majority of eligible players are able to participate.

Whan said: "Could I see us playing an event where our international players can't contend? We really feel like we've got to be in the 75 per cent kind of range. In other words, about 75 per cent of the players who are eligible for the event who wanted to play in it could.

"I really can't see us running an event where if half of my field couldn't play at an event, I don't think I could call that official."

Whan added that the sweeping changes announced to the LPGA schedule were designed to provide clarity for players and caddies.

"I think we've tried to hold out as long as we could along the way, but if you think about it, if you're going to play an event in mid-May, you need to start putting spikes in grounds now in the first of April, worst case. So this is the latest you could not go.

“Everybody agrees that eight weeks from now is going to be quite a bit different. What does that mean? I don't think anybody knows the answer to that”
- Mike Whan

"The reason we made the decision we did on the last six events, rather than just knocking off a couple more tournaments and moving all the way to mid-June, is driven a lot about travel bans because we've got players that aren't sure if they should go home – or they went home and (are) not sure if they could come back.

"The anxiety of international travel is currently heightened, so I think by just establishing a new line in the sand and saying, this is the plan, we know that not just for players but for caddies too, it gave them some freedom to go 'OK, I don't really have to think about that part of it for quite a while now'.

"Everybody agrees that eight weeks from now is going to be quite a bit different. What does that mean? I don't think anybody knows the answer to that.

"But rather than saying let's check back in every two weeks, it was becoming uncomfortable and we were actually adding to anxiety, not relieving it, I think, for a lot of our athletes."

amp_article__395331 : Database Data restored...  : 
last updated article - 2020-04-03 18:48:21:
html db last update - 2021-03-09 22:50:42 :

ex - 7200 : read : read cache amp html

Coronavirus outbreak - Click here for more stories

Click here for more stories about Mike Whan

Share this article now:
Read more about Mike Whan Golf
Recommended Next on SM
Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Arsenal33235577265174
2Liverpool33228375324374
3Manchester CityMan City32227376324473
4Aston Villa34206871502166
5Tottenham HotspurSpurs32186865491660
6Newcastle UnitedNewcastle321551269521750
7Manchester UnitedMan Utd32155124748-150
8West Ham UnitedWest Ham34139125463-948
9Chelsea31138106152947
10Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton321111105250244
11Wolverhampton WanderersWolves33127144653-743
12Fulham34126165054-442
13Bournemouth33119134860-1242
14Crystal Palace3399154256-1436
15Brentford3498175259-735
16Everton33108153448-1430
17Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest3479184260-1826
18Luton TownLuton3467214775-2825
19Burnley3458213769-3223
20Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd3337233188-5716
Scroll for more - Tap for full version


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
AL
Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!

Loading ...

Failed to load data.



. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .