PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Augusta National decided Monday to postpone the Masters because of the spread of the coronavirus.

Club chairman Fred Ridley says he hopes postponing the event puts Augusta National in the best position to host the Masters and its other two events at some later date.

Ridley did not say when it would be held. The PGA Tour has canceled all events through the Masters, and golf has a full schedule of events through the year.

The next major would be the PGA Championship in San Francisco in May.

In the opening round of THE PLAYERS Championship 2020, Hideki Matsuyama took the clubhouse lead at 9-under on an action-packed Thursday.

Today, the LPGA informed its players that in an effort to minimize risks with the global outbreak of COVID-19 and following the California Government’s directive regarding events, the next three events on the LPGA Tour schedule are postponed: the Volvik Founders Cup in Phoenix, Ariz., which was scheduled to take place March 19-22; the Kia Classic in Carlsbad, Calif., which was scheduled to take place March 26-29; and the ANA Inspiration in Rancho Mirage, Calif., which was scheduled for April 2-5. The plan is to reschedule these events for later dates in the 2020 season.

The upcoming two events on the Symetra Tour that were set to take place in California were also postponed (the IOA Championship presented by Morongo Casino Resort & Spa in Beaumont, Calif., from March 27-29 and the Windsor Golf Classic in Windsor, Calif., from April 2-4).

“This is a difficult situation and as we navigate these uncertain times, we appreciate the support of all those involved with the LPGA. I am fully committed to rescheduling these important events on our 2020 schedule, especially our first major, the ANA Inspiration,” said LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan. “Our thoughts are with all of those around the world affected by this virus. And on a personal level, it pains me to see the impact of this health crisis on our athletes, our sponsors and our fans. That said, I know keeping our LPGA family safe, and all those who follow us safe, has to be my top priority.

We will continue to monitor this rapidly evolving situation with our global health partners and are planning for different scenarios for future LPGA events should they be necessary.”

Check out the top shots of the week from the 2020 Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard, featuring Tyrrell Hatton, Phil Mickelson and Rickie Fowler at the Ball Hill Club & Lodge.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is honoring a pair of retired pro golfers with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor the president can give a civilian.

Annika Sörenstam and Gary Player will receive the medal during a White House ceremony on March 23, the White House announced Friday. Both are members of the World Golf Hall of Fame. Player, who is South African, won 24 PGA Tour events and 118 international tournaments.

Sörenstam, who is Swedish, completed her LPGA career with 72 tournament victories and was the dominant female player of her era, earning The Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year award three consecutive years beginning in 2003. Sörenstam is the first LPGA player and the first female athlete who is a naturalized citizen to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, according to the LPGA.

Trump played with Sörenstam and Player last fall at his private club in northern Virginia.

The president gave the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Tiger Woods last year after Woods won his fifth Masters title.