Golf: Paul Casey not a fan of postponement but backs Ryder Cup delay because of coronavirus

Paul Casey of England watches his tee shot on the 11th hole during the first round of The Players Championship on The Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass in Florida on March 12, 2020. PHOTO: AFP

LONDON (REUTERS) - English Ryder Cup veteran Paul Casey believes Europe's title defence in Wisconsin later this year should be postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The biennial golf contest between Europe and the United States is scheduled for Whistling Straits on the shores of Lake Michigan for Sept 25 to 27.

The organisers earlier this week described as "inaccurate" a British newspaper report that plans were being made to push back the event by 12 months, as happened in 2001 after the Sept 11 attacks on the United States.

Casey, 42, cited that precedent when he was asked whether he would favour a delay of this year's clash while the world deals with the health crisis.

"Yes is the answer to that," he told the BBC. "I am never a fan of postponing stuff but it's been postponed before, so why can't it happen again?"

Like most other sports, the professional golf calendar has been heavily disrupted by the pandemic.

The first two Major championships of the year, April's Masters and the PGA Championship in May, have already been postponed.

The US-based PGA Tour, which runs the game's most popular circuit, has cancelled all tournaments until mid-May at the earliest.

But for the suspension of the tour, Casey would have been playing for a third successive title at the Valspar Championship in Florida this week.

"I'm obviously disappointed," the world No. 24 added. "I was looking forward to going for three in a row, but it's amazing how quickly things have changed.

"The situation is no longer about golf, it's about worrying about people's safety, people's health and the economic impact of that."

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