CHINA DAILY | HONG KONG EDITION Wednesday, April 8, 2020 | 19 SPORTS GOLF BASKETBALL A-list imports in shutdown limbo Americans Lin, Jeter embracing challenges but compatriot Young left ruing quarantine row By SUN XIAOCHEN [email protected] So much has happened With an expected mid-April restart now delayed amid the coronavirus crisis, the Chi- over the past two months nese Basketball Association has put its sea- since I left Beijing last time. son-salvaging effort on hold to leave players and teams stuck in limbo. I spent the 14 days in After recalling some foreign players and isolation reading, thinking, reassembling teams at training camps, the CBA has had to abruptly hit the pause but- reflecting and praying. ton on its resumption plans for the 2019-20 Nobody should take life for season as the government resists the temp- tation to ease restrictions on mass gather- granted. We will hang on ings. together and it’s time to Ireland's Shane Lowry kisses the Claret Jug trophy after winning the British Open at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland The pushback has caught a group of A-list on July 21 last year. The organizers of the major, The Royal & Ancient, announced on Monday that they have decided to imports in a dilemma. Just as the pandemic restart.” cancel this year’s event, which had been scheduled for Royal St George’s in southeast England, due to the COVID­19 was accelerating globally, the likes of ex-NBA Jeremy Lin, pandemic. The championship will next be played at the same venue in July 2021. AP stars Jeremy Lin, Pooh Jeter and Joe Young American Beijing Ducks guard had rushed back to China only to realize the wait for the next opening buzzer to sound former Sacramento Kings guard. would go on. “It will definitely be exciting to play again. I Lin, an American guard who plays for know China. And China definitely wanted to Major reshuffle in bid to salvage season three-time CBA champion the Beijing Ducks, show it did things the right way. And once we has been a regular on Weibo to convey his play, it would be some type of history, espe- By CHINA DAILY “We want to emphasize that our future Open moves to the week of Dec 7 at Cham- excitement at rejoining teammates at the cially being part of an organization and plans are incumbent upon favorable pions Golf Club in Houston, Texas. Ducks’ west Beijing training facility after fin- league that’s continuing to play.” Golf’s top global governing bodies have counsel and direction from health Perhaps the most drastic move is the ishing a two-week quarantine on Friday. Staying in a hotel room for two weeks with announced a revised calendar of events in officials.” complete cancellation of July’s British “Now I am back home (on the basketball three meals delivered, temperatures regularly the hope of salvaging the currently sus- The PGA Championship, originally Open for the first time since 1945. The court),” Lin wrote in Chinese in a Weibo post checked and snacks prepared, Jeter said the pended season, with the Masters, PGA scheduled for May 11-17, is now slated to R&A said the decision was taken “based accompanied by photos of him practicing biggest challenge during the quarantine was Championship and US Open all post- take place Aug 3-9 and will remain at TPC on guidance from the UK government, shots on Friday. to maintain his workout routines with little or poned and the British Open canceled Harding Park in San Francisco, California. the health authorities, public services and “So much has happened over the past two no gym equipment. completely. The PGA Tour has tentatively planned The R&A’s advisers”. months since I left Beijing last time. I spent Recalling the moment his quarantine end- However, it’s still to be determined to complete its FedEx Cup season close to This year’s event was due to be played at the 14 days in isolation reading, thinking, ed after retesting negative for the virus, the when — or even if — golf can resume schedule, with the Tour Championship Royal St George’s in southeast England, reflecting and praying. Nobody should take 36-year-old wrote in the diary: “You know because of the COVID-19 pandemic that finishing on Sept 7. It also is contemplat- with R&A chief executive Martin Slum- life for granted. We will hang on together that feeling a dog has in the car, when it keeps has shut down sports worldwide. ing putting tournaments in dates that bers confirming that the 149th British and it’s time to restart,” Lin said in an earlier sticking its tongue out the window? That was Emphasizing that the health and safety previously belonged to the US Open, Brit- Open will now be played at the same Kent post. me. LOL.” of participants remain top priorities, ish Open and Olympics. course next year, with St Andrews in Scot- Lin, a hugely popular figure here largely However, not everyone has coped as well Augusta National Golf Club, the Europe- “It’s a complex situation, and we want land to host the 2022 edition. due to his Chinese heritage, is averaging 24.2 with the physical and emotional challenges of an Tour, LPGA, PGA of America, PGA to balance the commitments to our vari- “This is the first time since the World points, 5.8 rebounds and 5.8 assists for the being isolated from friends and families. Tour, the Royal & Ancient and United ous partners with playing opportunities War II that golf’s original championship, Ducks as the franchise looks to secure a play- Nanjing Monkey Kings’ American guard States Golf Association on Monday for our members — while providing com- first played in 1860, has been canceled,” off spot in the 20-team league with 16 games Young, who was selected by the Indian Pacers issued a joint statement detailing the pelling competition to our fans,” PGA said Slumbers, who added that the deci- remaining. as the 43rd pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, pro- changes. Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said. sion had been made with “a heavy heart”. According to industry analyst Lanxiong voked a backlash on Chinese social media as “In recent weeks, the global golf com- “But all of that must be done while navi- “I can assure everyone that we have Sport, 21 of the league’s 46 foreign players and fans branded him arrogant after he got munity has come together to collectively gating the unprecedented global crisis explored every option for playing The coaches had made it back to China before the involved in a quarrel with staff at the hotel put forward a calendar of events that will, that is impacting every single one of us.” Open this year but it is not going to be pos- country imposed a temporary entry ban on where he was quarantined. we hope, serve to entertain and inspire The PGA reconfirmed the Ryder Cup sible,” Slumbers said. foreign nationals on March 28 to control According to a Chinese media report, the golf fans around the world,” said the remains as originally scheduled, Sept Irishman Shane Lowry gets to keep the imported infections. 27-year-old native of Houston, Texas, and a statement. 22-27, at Whistling Straits in Kohler, Claret Jug longer than anyone since Dick Fujian SBS point guard Jeter is another friend of his demanded that hotel staff bring “We are grateful to our respective part- Wisconsin. Burton, who won in 1939 at St Andrews in who has returned to China with a positive them take-out food in between meals at about ners, sponsors and players, who have Gian Paolo Montali, the general direct- the last British Open before World War II. mindset despite ongoing uncertainties. 3am on March 30, a time when all services were allowed us to make decisions — some of or for the 2022 Ryder Cup, said on Italian “You can trust me when I say the Claret The Los Angeles native, who has played for supposed to be unavailable. them, very tough decisions — in order to radio on Monday that officials faced a Jug is going to be in safe hands for anoth- various CBA teams over the past eight years, It has been alleged the pair threatened to move the game and the industry forward.” May deadline to postpone the Ryder Cup er year,” Lowry said in a video tweet. finished his mandatory quarantine on the break out of the quarantine and fetch the food Augusta National in Georgia hopes to back to odd-numbered years (as it was same day Lin did. themselves. stage the Masters, originally scheduled before the matches were postponed by Summary of revised schedule: Jeter revealed in his online diary that Young later apologized in a video posted on for April 6-12, from Nov 9-15, with the US the Sept 11 terror attacks). He also said — Aug 6-9: PGA Championship league executives and club representatives the Monkey Kings’ official Weibo account and Open, previously scheduled for June 15-21 players have already vetoed a Ryder Cup — Aug 13-16: End of PGA Tour regular sea- will meet later this month to discuss alterna- pledged to abide by China’s strict coronavirus at Winged Foot in Mamaroneck, New without its raucous fans. son at Wyndham Championship tive solutions for the CBA’s pending restart. quarantine rules following the “misunder­ York, rescheduled for Sept 14-20 at the The European Tour is still working on — Aug 20-23: Start of FedEx Cup playoffs “I know they’re having a meeting on April standing”.