Players Championship, All PGA Tour Events Through Valero Open Canceled

The 2020 Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, is over after just one day.

On Thursday, the PGA Tour announced the decision to cancel the rest of the event due to concerns about the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic with the following 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 Valero Texas Open was scheduled from April 2-5 in San Antonio.

Hideki Matsuyama shot a nine-under 63 and tied the course record in Thursday's first round.

The decision from the PGA Tour comes after Rory McIlroy said "we need to shut it down then" when asked what should happen if one of the players or caddies tested positive for the coronavirus, per Bob Harig of ESPN.com.

The Valero Texas Open is the tournament right before the Masters. There are no plans to cancel the sport's most famous tournament as of now, but McIlroy did say, "I don't see how they can let spectators in if they plan to play at this point" when talking about it.

Prior to these cancellations, PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan said there would be no spectators at any of the tournaments leading up to the Masters, per Harig.