LOS ANGELES • The LPGA Tour on Thursday cancelled the Taiwan Swinging Skirts tournament because of concerns and travel restrictions owing to the coronavirus pandemic.

The event - which American world No. 4 Nelly Korda has won for the past two years - had been scheduled for Oct 29-Nov 1 at Miramar Golf Country Club in Taipei, but the Tour said the decision to call it off was based on the latest advice from the Taiwanese government.

A statement read: "While we are disappointed we cannot play this year, both Swinging Skirts and the LPGA are fully committed to returning in 2021 for the Taiwan Swinging Skirts LPGA."

The announcement comes two days after the LPGA Tour cancelled its Shanghai tournament, after China said that it would not hold most international sports events for the rest of this year because of Covid-19.

With both events being axed, this means there are only two remaining Asian-based LPGA Tour events - the BMW Ladies Championship and the Toto Japan Classic - left on the revamped and condensed schedule.

Both are said to be doubtful and, if they are also scrapped, it would mean there will be no LPGA Tour events in Asia this year.

In late January and February, its Thailand event, the Blue Bay tournament in China and the HSBC Women's World Championship at Sentosa were all axed at the outset of the pandemic.

Men and women's professional golf has made a tentative return in the United States and Europe, but with no spectators in attendance and strict virus-prevention protocols.

The LPGA Tour season was shut down by the pandemic in February after just four events, two in Florida and two in Australia.

It restarted just two weeks ago with back-to-back events in Ohio, both won by American world No. 2 Danielle Kang.

The circuit is currently based in Britain for the Scottish Open, which ends tomorrow, ahead of the year's first Major, the women's British Open, which is scheduled to start next Thursday.

2 Asian-based events left on the condensed LPGA Tour calendar.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE