WNBA postpones season openers as the US Women's Open reschedules the golf tournament for mid-DECEMBER due to the ongoing coronavirus scare
- The WNBA is postponing training camp and season openers, which were originally scheduled for May 15. The draft will take place remotely on April 17
- The US Women's Open has been postponed from June until mid-December
- The golf tournament will still be played at the Cypress Creek course in Houston
If the sports world is any barometer, daily American life isn't expected to resume amid the coronavirus pandemic any time soon as the WNBA is now postponing its 2020 season while the US Women's Open golf tournament is rescheduled for December.
The WNBA season was scheduled to begin on May 15 while the golf tournament was set for early June.
'As developments continue to emerge around the COVID-19 pandemic, including the extension of the social distancing guidelines in the United States through April 30, the WNBA will postpone the start of its training camps and tip of the regular season originally scheduled for May 15,' WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said in a statement.
'While the league continues to use this time to conduct scenario-planning regarding new start dates and innovative formats, our guiding principle will continue to be the health and safety of the players, fans and employees.'
WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said training camp and the season are postponed
In this October 2019, file photo, Jin Young Ko of South Korea watches her tee shot on the first hole during the first round of the Taiwan Swinging Skirts LPGA tournament at the Miramar Golf Country Club in New Taipei City, Taiwan. Ko figures to be plenty rested whenever the LPGA Tour resumes. Ko left the CME Group Tour Championship in Naples, Florida, on November 24 as the No. 1 player in women's golf, capping off her four-win, two-major season as the LPGA player of the year and winner of the Vare Trophy for lowest scoring average. The plan was to return for the Asia swing in mid-February and work her way into the season. She's still waiting.
Nneka Ogwumike of the Sparks handles the ball against Temi Fagbenle of the Lynx during a WNBA basketball game at Staples Center on August 20, 2019 in Los Angeles
Engelbert said the 2020 WNBA Draft will take place remotely, but will still be shown live on ESPN on April 17, when Kobe Bryant protege and University of Oregon star Sabrina Ionescu is expected to be picked first overall.
The USGA said Friday the rapid developments of COVID-19 has led the Women's Open at Champions Golf Club to be postponed. Instead of being held June 4-7, the new date is December 10-13.
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That would be the latest a major championship is played, and the first time an official LPGA Tour event was held entirely in December since Maria Hjorth won the LPGA Tour Championship in 2010.
Mike Davis, the CEO of the USGA, said the move couldn't have happened without collaboration with the LPGA Tour and Fox Sports, its broadcast partner which has NFL games during December.
'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,' Davis said.
But it will require some adjustments.
Jessica Korda hits her tee shot on the fifth hole during the final round of the 2019 US Women's Open Championship at the Country Club of Charleston in Charleston, South Carolina
The US Women's Open was to play all 72 holes on the Cypress Creek course at Champions, the course that hosted the 1969 U.S. Open and most recently the 2003 Tour Championship on the PGA Tour.
Because of limited daylight in December, and with the USGA wanting to have a full field for its premier women's event, the opening two rounds would be played on Cypress Creek and the Jackrabbit course.
Still to be determined are dates and golf courses to be used for qualifying.
Liz Cambage #8 of Team Wilson brings the ball up the court against Brittney Griner #42 of Team Delle Donne during the WNBA All-Star Game 2019 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on July 27, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada
Meanwhile, the LPGA Tour postponed the next five events, with four of them already assigned new dates. The changes means the next event - for now - would be the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship on June 19-21, followed by the KPMG Women's PGA Championship outside Philadelphia.
The Pelican Women's Championship, a new event in the Tampa Bay, Florida, area, moves from May 14-17 to November 12-15; the ShopRite LPGA Classic in Atlantic City, New Jersey, moves from May 29-31 to July 31-Aug. 2; and the Meijer LPGA Classic in Michigan was to be played June 11-14 and will be rescheduled.
The Pure Silk Championship at Kingsmill Resort in Virginia was canceled and will return to the 2021 schedule.
A previously postponed tournament, the Kia Classic in Carlsbad, California, moves from March to September 24-27.
'This has been a truly collective effort to reschedule tournament dates and work together to provide LPGA players with as many playing opportunities as possible once it is safe for us to resume competing again,' LPGA Tour Commissioner Mike Whan said.
Washington Mystics star Elena Delle Donne shoots during Game 5 of the 2019 WNBA Finals
The WNBA, which was set to begin its 24th season, is the longest running professional women's sports league.
Every other major sports league has been put on hold due to the virus.
The postponement of the 2020 Olympics gives the WNBA flexibility with its schedule. The league was set to go on a monthlong break starting July 10 to allow players to participate in the Tokyo Games.
Two WNBA cities are major hot spots for the virus: New York and Seattle. One of the the Storm's homes for the season, the Angel of the Winds Arena, is being used as a coronavirus isolation site.
The Las Vegas casino where the Aces play is shut, as is the Connecticut Sun's home arena.
'We continue to send our thoughts and prayers to our players, fans, and all of those in the community impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and are grateful to those selfless health care workers and first responders who work tirelessly on the front lines,' Engelbert said.
Two WNBA cities are major hot spots for the virus: New York and Seattle (pictured)
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