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PGA cancel The Players Championship and all other golf events before The Masters in April amid coronavirus fears
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.
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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.
CORONAVIRUS' IMPACT ON EUROPEAN FOOTBALL
SERIE A - Suspended until at least April 3
LALIGA - Next two matchdays suspended
LIGUE 1 - All matches behind closed doors until April 15
BUNDESLIGA - This weekend's fixtures behind closed doors but whole season could be scrapped pending German Football Federation meeting with clubs
PREMIER LEAGUE - Man City vs Arsenal postponed but no further action as of 1pm March 12
BELGIUM - This weekend's games behind closed doors and Cup final postponed
AUSTRIA - All football suspended apart from top flight and national team
PORTUGAL - All games behind closed doors for at least two weeks
EUROPA LEAGUE - Selected games behind closed doors including Man Utd and Wolves. Some games including Sevilla vs Roma called off
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE - Selected games behind closed doors including Bayern Munich vs Chelsea. Man City's game with Real Madrid to be postponed
This announcement came moments after it emerged Chelsea football star Callum Hudson-Odoi has tested positive for coronavirus.
The entire Blues first-team, coaches and support staff will now self-isolate, putting Saturday's match with Aston Villa in serious doubt.
The news comes hours after Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta revealed he had also tested positive for the deadly virus.
Arsenal's match with Brighton this weekend has been postponed with the entire squad in isolation and the training ground closed.
English football was in crisis as the league announced it will hold an "emergency club meeting" today to discuss future fixtures - with clubs expecting they will not play for a month.
The news of Arteta's positive test came just 49 minutes after the Premier League announced that games this weekend WOULD go ahead as normal.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has tested positive for coronavirus after he admitted to feeling poorly
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