[Golf Topic] JGTO Opening Tournament Doken Homemate Cup "Canceled Due to COVID-19 Concerns"

[Asia Economy Reporter No Woo-rae] ○…The opening event of the Japan Professional Golf Tour (JGTO) has been canceled due to concerns over the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19).

On the 26th, JGTO announced on its website that "the Token Homemate Cup (total prize money of 130 million yen), scheduled to be held in Nagoya, Japan for four days starting next month on the 16th, has been canceled." They added, "We prioritized the safety of players, tournament officials, and galleries," and explained, "We take seriously the need to prevent the spread of infection." JGTO began its season in January with the Singapore Open (total prize money of 107.11 million yen), co-hosted with the Asian Professional Golfers Association (APGA) Tour.

The Token Homemate Cup was to be the first tournament on the Japanese mainland. The organizers reportedly chose cancellation rather than postponement to maintain the symbolic significance of the domestic opening event. As the spread of COVID-19 accelerates in Japan, there are expectations that a state of emergency will be declared in Tokyo. JGTO has stated that only the Token Homemate Cup will be canceled, and the Chunichi Crown (total prize money of 120 million yen), scheduled to be held in Nagoya on April 30, will still take place.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.