European Tour Drops Bahrain from 2012 Schedule


Due to civil unrest in Bahrain, the European Tour has decided to drop the Volvo Golf Champions from its 2012 schedule. The event was slated to be played on Royal Golf Club, a course designed by Colin Montgomerie, in January.

The decision was made following a crackdown on anti-government protestors in late July that left at least 32 people dead.

"With work still ongoing to resolve issues in Bahrain and the need to confirm the venue by the end of July 2011, the difficult decision to postpone the event for 2012 was taken," said the European Tour's George O'Grady.

"We know that Bahrain is working hard to address the issues it has faced in recent months, as well as to reach out to the international community," O'Grady added.

The postponement of the golf tournament follows a similar decision by FIA, which canceled Bahrain's 2011 F1 Grand Prix due to security fears.