[Golf Topic] LPGA Tour Resumption "July, August?"..."Year-End Awards?"

[Asia Economy Kim Hyun-jun, Golf Specialist Reporter] ○..."July, August?"

The resumption of the U.S. Women's Professional Golf (LPGA) Tour is not easy. After holding four tournaments starting with the January Diamond Resort Tournament, the tour was completely suspended due to the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in the United States. The Marathon Classic scheduled for July 23 is also highly likely to be canceled. The battleground state of Ohio still prohibits outdoor events where many people gather. A tournament official has already stated that "we will not hold events without spectators."

The next schedule includes the European stage with the August Evian Championship, the Scottish Women's Open, and the Women's British Open. Mike Whan, LPGA Tour Commissioner, expressed concerns, saying, "Currently, entry and exit procedures between the U.S. and Europe are complicated, so it is necessary to review later whether the tournaments can proceed normally." After mid-October, the so-called 'Asian Series' takes place in Korea, China, Taiwan, and Japan. This also depends on entry and exit procedures.

Under these circumstances, competition for various titles such as prize money ranking, lowest scoring average, most wins, Rookie of the Year, and Player of the Year becomes impossible. The LPGA Tour has already announced on its homepage that "depending on COVID-19, it is highly likely that there will be no year-end awards for the 2020 season." Rookies who joined the LPGA Tour this year will maintain their rookie status until next year, and the Q-Series and remaining Monday qualifiers have been canceled. Players' seeds will carry over to the 2021 season.

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