European Tour postpones Hong Kong Open

The European Tour have announced that next week’s Hong Kong Open has been postponed.

There is ongoing social unrest in the region and clashes between police and protesters have become increasingly more violent.

European Tour CEO Kieth Pelley said: “As the safety of our players, staff, stakeholders and everyone involved in each and every one of our tournaments around the world is our top priority, we feel this is the correct, but unfortunate, course of action.

Cho Minn Thant, the commissioner and CEO of the Asian Tour who were co-sanctioning the event with the European Tour, added: “The unpredictability of the current situation in Hong Kong makes it very challenging to sanction the tournament especially with the safety of everyone of utmost importance.

“However, we are optimistic that once the situation in Hong Kong stabilises, we will be in a better position to sanction the 61st edition of the Hong Kong Open in the very near future.”

The event, which was due to start on November 28, will now take place later in the season.

When can the Hong Kong Open be played?

There are a number of free slots on the 2020 European Tour schedule.

Pelley says he hopes it will return “early next year”, so that might mean the free week commencing February 10, between the Vic Open in Australia and the WGC-Mexico Championship.

Otherwise the first week of April, immediately before the Masters, is also free.

Further into the year, the week between the Open and the British Masters is available, though it is unlikely the Tour will break up the British swing.

After that, there are two weeks with tournaments yet to be confirmed. The first of those, the week commencing August 3, would make most sense given it falls immediately after the Olympic Games in Japan.

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