Golf-PGA Tour's John Deere Classic cancelled due to COVID-19

REUTERS: The John Deere Classic scheduled for July in Illinois, which was supposed to be the fifth event of the circuit's revamped schedule, has been cancelled due to state-related challenges regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, the PGA Tour said on Thursday.

The tournament, which was also the first of the PGA Tour's revised schedule that could have potentially included fans, was due to be played July 9-12 at TPC Deere Run in Silvis.

"Because of the ongoing health and safety concerns related to the coronavirus pandemic, the difficult decision was made to cancel the 2020 John Deere Classic," tournament director Clair Peterson said in a PGA Tour news release.

"While we considered several alternatives for the Classic, this was the choice that made the most sense for our guests, the players and the Quad City community at large."

The PGA Tour said it will fill the July week with a new tournament that will be determined in the near future.

Following a three-month hiatus because of the coronavirus, the PGA Tour is scheduled to resume with the June 11-14 Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas.

The event is the first of four straight weeks of tournaments which will have no fans in attendance.

(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto, editing by Ed Osmond)