Pigamingi: Three Kenya Open Golf winners shine in Oman as Coronavirus disrupts sporting events

President Uhuru Kenyatta (right) presents a trophy to Lorenzo Gagli when he won the Barclays Kenya Open at Muthaiga Golf Club. Gagli was recently briefly quarantined in Oman over Coronavirus fears. [File/Jonah Onyango, Standard]

The entire world is watching with bated breath as the Coronavirus (Covid-19) goes on the rampage. 

No other virus in recent times has spread as fast as this one and nobody knows where it is headed. The virus is causing havoc in all aspects of life.

As of Friday 29 February, the virus had been reported in 50 countries and had by the time this article was written, killed 54 people in 44 countries outside China 

On Wall Street, US stock markets fell significantly last week with the Dow Jones tumbling nearly 1,200 points and the S&P 500 dropping 12 per cent. Thursday was the worst one day drop for the market since 2011. 

This week, stocks are heading for their worst week since the 2008 financial crisis.

The world of manufacturing in China, Japan and Korea has been hard hit. If you have ordered a customized Hyundai lately, don’t hold your breath.

Hyundai’s Ulsan Complex, the most productive car factory in the world with a capacity to make 1.4m vehicles annually, ground to a halt in the first week of February because of a lack of parts due to the coronavirus outbreak crippling China's industrial output. The plant also makes KIA vehicles.

Also suffering greatly in the economy is the travel and holiday industries. Suddenly the crowded skies over Asia are almost clear as most airlines have stopped or drastically reduced their flights to the East.

Local businesses are also suffering in the East and Southern Asian Countries as people are avoiding crowded places, shopping malls, food courts, restaurants, movie theatres, and sports arenas.

In sports, the Chinese chapter of the 2020 Formula 1 calendar was axed.

 MotoGP has announced its 2020 season-opener in Qatar will not go ahead due to travel restrictions brought about by the coronavirus outbreak.

Guido Migliozzi in action in Kenya. [ Archive. Standard]

This past weekend, the Tokyo Marathon, which ordinarily would have attracted 38,000 runners, was cut short to 200 runners only --- the elite runners division.

Similarly, Japan’s soccer league, the J-League, has cancelled its first half matches through Marc, while their Baseball team is playing exhibition preparation games to empty stadiums.

Cycling's governing body, the UCI, cancelled the last two stages of the UAE Tour bike race last week after two Italian staff members tested positive for the virus.

In golf, the LPGA's spring Asia swing has been thrown into disarray as prime events had to be cancelled.

The nightmare started with the cancellation of the highly anticipated LPGA HSBC LPGA Women's World Championship slated for February 27 to March 1 in Singapore. This year's entries had included all of the world's top 20 players.

This 2020 Blue Bay LPGA Championship scheduled for March 5 to 8 on Hainan Island, China, has also been cancelled because of concerns over the virus and the travel restrictions implemented to slow it.

Similarly, Thailand’s premier women’s tournament, the 2020 Honda Thailand Open due to be held from 20-23 February was cancelled. Thus, the LPGA losing all three of its lucrative early-season events in Asia. 

Amateur golfers will forever rue the missed opportunity as the Women's Asia-Pacific Amateur that was to be played at Siam Country Club in Pattaya, Thailand, was also cancelled.

Even more so since the winner receives exemptions to the Women's British Open, the Evian Championship, and the Augusta National Women's Amateur. 

The men have not been spared either, as the European Tour has cancelled two events scheduled for April. 

The Maybank Championship was scheduled for April 16 to 19 at Saujana Golf and Country Club in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, while the China Open was scheduled for the following week, April 23 to 26 at Genzon Golf Club in Shenzhen.

Closer to Kenyan hearts were two former Kenya Open Champions being quarantined and had to withdraw from participating in the 2020 European Tour’s Oman Open. 

Edoardo Molinari and Lorenzo Gagli, the 2007 and 2018 Kenyan Open Challenge Tour Champions, were quarantined in Muscat this week and forced to pull out of the Oman Open over fears they may have the coronavirus. 

The two golfers had arrived from Italy, where 12 deaths and 400 confirmed cases had been reported.

Molinari had displayed some flu-like symptoms and because Gagli was sharing a room with him, both had to be isolated from the other golfers. Luckily both players were reinstated after tests turned out negative, and shot under-par rounds. 

In the first round, Molinari shot 3-under while Gagli shot 4-under, both trailing the 2019 Inaugural European Tour Kenya Open Champion, Guido Migliozzi, who had posted a 6-under lead.

The big question remaining in the world of golf and sports is whether the remaining sports scheduled for the rest of the year shall happen, taking into consideration the rapid spread of the Covid-19 Virus. 

The big one is, of course, the 2020 Olympics that are scheduled to be held in Japan. Their fate is hanging precariously as the number of virus victims is rising fast in Japan.

The world’s most popular sport, soccer will also be affected. In Serie A, Juventus' home clash with title rivals Inter Milan, was played behind closed doors. Other matches have been postponed. Euro 2020 may not happen either. At least not in Italy, one of the host countries.

Those who love horseracing, and betting, are holding their breath as the Cheltenham Festival scheduled for March 8, is likely to be cancelled, the UK recording 35 virus infection cases by last weekend.

The US PGA Tour is “monitoring situation” in San Francisco, which is hosting the 102nd PGA Championship, on May 11 to 17, 2020 at Harding Park, as the City has declared a state of emergency, though no case of Covid-19 has been reported. 

I would expect the golf Majors to be particularly affected since they include golfers from all over the world, China included. The International qualifying events for the US Open schedules for Kuwana Country Club in Japan will most certainly be cancelled since entrants come from the neighbouring Asian Countries. 

The remaining International Qualifying events for the British Open, The Open plan, planned for Japan, Morocco, Korea, and Scotland may also be affected. 

How about the 2020 Kenya Open? So far, no case of Covid-19 has been reported in Kenya. But the incoming players, caddies and their handlers, just like any other visitors flying into Kenya from those countries where the virus is already on the rampage, bring with them a risk. 

They need to be tested at entry, monitored and if necessary tested as the need may arise. As much as US President Trump is wishing the Covid-19 away with his usual hubris, nobody knows which way this disease pan out.

Lipouts: Someone, please nickname Patrick Reed, The Scorpion. The more haters and naysayers get him annoyed, the better he plays and wins. He shut them up nicely at the World Golf Championships last week. [email protected], @pigamingi1