Coronavirus: Players Championship cancelled after one round

Rory McIlroy had called for all players to be tested for coronavirus before the Players Championship was cancelled

The Players Championship in Florida has been cancelled after one round with organisers saying it was "the right thing to do" in order to safeguard against the spread of coronavirus.

The PGA Tour has also postponed all tournaments between now and the Masters - the first major of 2020 - which is scheduled to start at Augusta National in Georgia on 9 April.

The Tour said: "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 event, held at TPC Sawgrass, is not a major championship but is often referenced as 'the fifth major' given its status in the golfing calendar.

Earlier on Thursday organisers said fans would not be able to attend the prestigious course for the final three rounds of play.

But later they announced: "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 endeavouring to give our fans a much-needed respite from the current climate."

Japan's Hideki Matsuyama shot a nine-under 63 to equal the course record on Friday.

The Players Championship was first played in 1974 and has never been cancelled.

On Thursday, the next three tournaments on the LPGA Tour - including the first major of the year - were postponed because of the coronavirus outbreak.

Analysis

BBC Sport's golf correspondent Iain Carter

The big question mark now surrounds next month's Masters. There has already been a lot of speculation that the tournament might be played with reduced crowds or behind closed doors but with no competitive men's golf on the PGA Tour between now and Augusta it seems more and more likely that the first men's major of the year will be called off.

The opening women's major, the ANA Inspiration, has already fallen victim to the coronavirus crisis so it would be out of kilter with the current trend if the 2020 Masters survives in its usual April date.