US Women’s Open postponed to December

LOS ANGELES: The US Women’s Open Championship has been shunted from June to December because of the coronavirus pandemic, the United States Golf Association confirmed on Friday.

In the latest disruption to the beleaguered women’s circuit, the June 4-7 tournament to be staged at Champions Golf Club in Houston will now be held from December 10-13.

“The USGA remains committed to hosting the US Women’s Open in 2020,” USGA chief executive Mike Davis said in a statement. “Our priority remains ensuring the safety of all involved with the US Women’s Open, while still providing the world’s best players the opportunity to compete this year.”

The US Women’s Open is the third women’s major of the season to be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The ANA Inspiration at Rancho Mirage, California, was due to have taken place this weekend but was postponed until September amid coronavirus fears.

And the Evian Championships in France has been moved from its original July 23-26 slot to August 6-9. The LPGA Tour has been on a hiatus since February, with several events in Thailand, Singapore, China and the United States cancelled or postponed. The coronavirus has also wreaked havoc with men’s golf, with the US Masters and PGA Championship postponed.