European Tour cancels two events in Malaysia and China due to coronavirus outbreak

European Tour chief executive Keith Pelley says the double postponement has been made with the "well-being of our players, spectators and staff"

The Maybank Championship in Malaysia and Volvo China Open were both scheduled to take place in April, but have now been called off.

The European Tour and Asian Tour accepted a request from title sponsor and promoter Maybank to postpone the Maybank Championship in Kuala Lumpur.

Meanwhile, the decision to postpone the Volvo China Open on the European Tour was taken following consultation with tournament stakeholders.

“The well-being of our players, spectators and staff is always our absolute priority," said European Tour chief executive Keith Pelley.

"While it is therefore regrettable that the Maybank Championship and Volvo China Open have been postponed, we feel this is the correct course of action at this time. We are currently investigating alternative dates for both events.”

Datuk Abdul Farid Alias, group president & CEO of Maybank, added: “The decision to postpone the Maybank Championship was made after intense deliberation and careful consideration in the interest of all the players, visitors, working teams and partners.

“The postponement of the Maybank Championship was not an easy decision to make, however, the safety of all stakeholders takes precedence, and we want to ensure that any risk of possible exposure to Covid-19 is mitigated.

"We will monitor the situation and work closely with the European and Asian Tours, as well as our other partners, as we plan for our return in the future."

The double postponement follows the LPGA cancelling three scheduled events, including the HSBC Women's Championship in Singapore.

This week's Amateur Asia-Pacific Championship in Thailand was also cancelled by the R&A while the PGA Tour's China series has postponed two qualifying tournaments as well as the opening four events of the new season.