CBS, ESPN impacted by loss of high-profile event

The Masters Golf Tournament has been delayed among concerns about the coronavirus, which have led to the cancellation and postponement of nearly all high-profile sports events.

The Masters has long been a mainstay for CBS, which airs the final rounds, and for ESPN, which televises the early rounds on cable.

On Thursday, the PGA Tour canceled its golf tournaments leading up the the Masters.

The Masters had been planning to go head with the tournament as recently as March 4.

But in a statement Friday, Fred Ridely, chairman of Augusta National Golf Club, said, “considering the latest information and expert analysis, we have decided at this time to postpone the Masters Tournament, the National Women’s Amateur and the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals.”

The statement added that “Ultimately, the health and well-being of everyone associated with these events and the citizens of the Augusta community led us to this decision. We hope this postponement puts us in the best position to safely host the Masters Tournament and our amateur events at some later date.”

“We recognize this decision will affect many people, including our loyal patrons. Your patience as we make every effort to communicate effectively and efficiently is appreciated, and we will share any additional information as soon as it becomes available. Updates also will be posted to our website, Masters.com,” Ridley said.

Earlier, the NBA and the NHL canceled their regular seasons. The NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament has also been canceled and the start of the Major League Baseball season has been pushed back.