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UPDATE: Two LPGA events in Asia canceled due to concerns over COVID-19 and travel restrictions

August 14, 2020
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Danielle Kang putts on the 18th hole en route to defending her title at the 2019 Buick LPGA Shanghai.

Yifan Ding

The LPGA Tour announced on Tuesday the cancellation of the Buick LPGA Shanghai, which was scheduled to be played Oct. 15-18. Tour officials cited not only health concerns, but also strict travel restrictions in place as the reasoning for the decision. The event has been on the LPGA Tour schedule since 2018. Danielle Kang has won both playings of the tournament.

Two days later, the LPGA Tour announced the Taiwan Swinging Skirts LPGA has also been canceled for similar reasons. The event was originally scheduled for Oct. 29-Nov. 1, and Nelly Korda is defending champion.

After playing two events in Ohio since their restart, the LPGA Tour has left the United States to compete in Scotland. After two events there, the tour will return to the U.S. The government has exempt LPGA Tour players from having to quarantine for two weeks after returning from international travel.

The next time the tour was supposed to leave the U.S. was to go to the Shanghai event, which was to be the start of a four-event swing in Asia. Now two events remain in that swing, one in South Korea and the other in Japan.

With the cancellation of the Buick LPGA Shanghai and Taiwan Swinging Skirts LPGA, the 2020 LPGA Tour schedule has 20 events. The tour said in their statements that they will return to the Shanghai event at Qizhong Garden Golf Club in 2021 as well as Miramar Golf Country Club in Taiwan.