Jodi Ewart Shadoff of England plays her shot on the eighth hole during the ANA Inspiration women's golf championship, an event of the LPGA Tour in Rancho Mirage, California, U.S., April 1, 2018. /VCG
The women's professional golf championship has been rescheduled for October as the U.S.-based Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour announced on Wednesday it has planned to restart its 2020 season in mid-July.
The major, one of five in the women's game, was due to take place at Aronimink Golf Club in Pennsylvania in late June but has now been moved to October 8-11.
Other tournaments set to take place in Michigan, Arkansas and Ohio in June and early July have also been postponed.
"One thing that has become clear is that there will be no 'opening bell' regarding a return to safe play in this new normal of the COVID-19 pandemic," said LPGA commissioner Mike Whan.
"To be honest, being 'first' has never been the goal when it comes to returning to play in this new normal. We have built a schedule that we think is as safe as possible."
Jin Young-ko of South Korea won the women's golf Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club in Evian-les-Bains, France, July 28, 2019. /VCG
The LPGA Tour is now due to resume on July 15 at the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational tournament in Michigan followed by events in Ohio and New Jersey.
The LPGA also announced increases in prize money at many of the 2020 events.
The ANA Inspiration and the U.S. Open, originally scheduled to be the first majors of the year, were previously rescheduled for September and December.
The Evian Championship is scheduled to be held in France in early August but the major appears unlikely to go ahead as planned as the French government has banned all sporting events until September.
Only four LPGA events have been contested this year, two in Florida in January and two in Australia in February.