LPGA's China Tournament Scotched


An LPGA tournament to be held in China in two weeks has been canceled. The Tour was notified by the China Golf Association on Monday night that the Imperial Springs event on September 29-October 2 would not be played.

"Blindsided by the news, the LPGA has exhausted all possibilities to carry on with the event as scheduled but have been told that the tournament must be canceled," the LPGA said in a Tuesday night press release.

"We are unable to share further details of the cancellation at this time. We view China as an important market for the LPGA and remain open to creating a world-class event with long-term success."

Originally scheduled for August, the tournament was postponed "to allow the title sponsor and tournament organizers more time for proper permitting," according to the release.

An official who answered the phone at the CGA on Wednesday told The Associated Press, "We don't have any information on this." Like many officials in China, he would give only his surname, Wei.

The LPGA notified the players Tuesday during a scheduled meeting at this week's tour stop, the Navistar LPGA Classic, in Alabama. The 72-hole event starts Thursday on one of the RTJ Trail courses in Alabama, The Senator at Capitol Hill in Prattville.