Coronavirus & golf: LPGA Evian Championship canceled in France

South Korean Ko Jin-young won a two-time victory over the Evian Championship

last year. The Evian Championship, which would become the Ladies' Professional Golf Association's first major of the year, has been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

It would take place between August 6-9 at the Evian Resort Golf Club in France.

"The continued uncertainty about opening borders poses a great risk to the organization," said the organizers.

Due to the crisis, the women's tour has been suspended since the end of February.

The Evian Championship is the 10th LPGA Tour tournament to be canceled. Tour organizers initially hoped it would be the first of the sport's five majors to be played on a new calendar.

Under the new schedule, the Women's British Open at Royal Troon in Scotland has been moved to August, followed by the ANA Inspiration in September, the Women's PGA Championship in October and the US Women's Open in December.

The LPGA Tour had hoped to start again on July 15-18 during the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational tournament in Michigan.

In a statement, the tournament added: "The LPGA and the Evian Championship's organizing committee must recognize that the conditions for a safe event that meets the expectations of the public, players, organizers and their partners are not present. "

The men's PGA Tour will resume Thursday with the Charles Schwab Challenge in Texas, with the first five events played behind closed doors.

The first men's major – the US PGA Championship at Harding Park in San Francisco – is scheduled for August 6-9, the same weekend as the Evian Women's Championship would be played.