China cancels Blue Bay tournament on LPGA schedule

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — The Blue Bay LPGA has been canceled for the third time in four years because of what the LPGA Tour described as ongoing COVID-19 matters.

The decision came from the China Golf Association, which regulates golf in the country. The tour said it looked forward to returning to Hainan Island in 2024.

The Blue Bay LPGA had been scheduled for March 9-12 as the third and final leg of its first Asia swing.

The tournament was part of the LPGA Tour schedule from 2014 through 2018, with Gaby Lopez of Mexico the most recent winner. It was not on the LPGA schedule in 2019 or 2022. It was in 2020 and 2021, both times canceled because of the pandemic.

The HSBC Champions in Shanghai, part of the World Golf Championships, was last played in 2019. The European tour had the Volvo China Open most recently in 2022, which was canceled. It does not have a China event on the schedule this year.

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