Garry Smits

gsmits@jacksonville.com

The PGA Tour announced late Thursday that it was canceling the remaining three rounds of The Players Championship at the TPC Sawgrass Players Stadium Course due to coronavirus concerns.

The Tour played the first round on Thursday with fans present, with an announcement at noon that it would play the next three rounds without fans.

Hideki Matsuyama of Japan was the leader, tying the course record with a 63.

Tour commissioner Jay Monahan will address the issue during a news conference at 8 a.m. on Friday at The Players media center.

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Here is the Tour statement:

It is with regret that we are announcing the cancellation of The Players Championship.

We have also decided to cancel all PGA TOUR events – across all of our Tours – in the coming weeks, through the Valero Texas Open.

We have pledged from the start to be responsible, thoughtful and transparent with our decision process. We did everything possible to create a safe environment for our players in order to continue the event throughout the weekend, and we were endeavoring to give our fans a much-needed respite from the current climate. But at this point – and as the situation continues to rapidly change – the right thing to do for our players and our fans is to pause.

The Players had been contended every year since 1974, and every year since 1982 at the Stadium Course. It has never failed to complete 72 holes until this year.

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