LPGA major Evian Championship canceled because of travel concerns

The LPGA won’t be playing one of its five major championships this year.

The Evian Championship has been canceled because of challenges caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Evian and the LPGA announced Tuesday.

The event was scheduled to be played Aug. 6-9 in Evian-les-Bains, France.

Evian officials said in a release that “opening the borders, in particular with Asia and the USA, poses a major risk” with a field of 120 players coming from 30 countries.

“I have been incredibly impressed by the entire team at The Evian Championship, “ LPGA commissioner Mike Whan said. “They worked so hard to host this global event despite the obvious challenges. They know that high-pursed, career-changing events like The Evian are more important than ever, especially in an LPGA year that has been drastically reduced due to COVID-19. I know this was a tough decision for everyone involved, but it’s one that we had to take given the restrictions we faced.

“It is disappointing to miss a major championship, but Evian’s strong history of showcasing the best female golfers will continue once again when we return in 2021. We look forward to being back on the mountain in Evian next year and for a long time to come.”

The pandemic has affected 24 of the LPGA’s 34 events, with 12 canceled and 13 rescheduled. The tour is scheduled to make its restart after a pause amid the pandemic July 23-26 at Marathon Classic.

“Our top priority is of course to ensure everyone stays healthy and safe,” said Evian Championship chairman Franck Riboud. “All of our teams are very affected by the forced cancelation of our major, but we must not lose sight of what matters most.”