Rory McIlroy: 'Right Decision' to Cancel Players Championship Amid Coronavirus

Rory McIlroy has said he agrees with the decision to cancel the 2020 Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass because of the coronavirus outbreak.

The event, which was due to continue this weekend in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, was pulled after the opening round.

According to ESPN's Bob Harig, the world No. 1 said he agreed with the choice to end the current competition.

"It's the right decision, of course it's the right decision," McIlroy said. "I stood up there yesterday after playing and was like, doing what they did was a step in the right direction. But they were saying they were taking it hour-by-hour and seeing how it would all play out, and here we are."

The PGA Tour followed the lead of multiple sporting bodies across the world and opted to postpone events on their forthcoming schedule.

Per BBC Sport, the Tour announced:

"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 endeavouring to give our fans a much-needed respite from the current climate."

The Tour also confirmed the opening major of the year has been postponed, with the Masters at Augusta National on April 9 cancelled for the first time since World War II.

This is the first time the Players Championship has been cancelled since its inception in 1974. The opening day had been dominated by Hideki Matsuyama. The Japanese star recorded nine-under 63 to equal the course record and lead the field by two shots.

McIlroy ended Thursday on level-par 72, with the superstar rallying late in the day with three consecutive birdies to rescue his round.