09 September 2020

Concerns over temperature and air quality ahead of LPGA’s ANA Inspiration tournament following California wildfires

Organisers have confirmed they are monitoring the temperature and air quality ahead of the LPGA’s ANA Inspiration tournament.

The women’s major is due to start on September 10 at the Mission Hills Country Club in California.

But due to the California wildfires the heat and air quality could become unsafe for the players. 

Temperatures are expected to soar at the weekend and as a result it remains possible that players will take to carts by the end of the three-day event.

LPGA’s Chief Communications and Tour Operations Officer Heather Daly-Donofrio said: "Everybody is aware that we made a decision to allow carts in practise rounds due to the high temperature for both players and caddies, and then to allow the caddies to use push carts or carts during tournament rounds.

"Since then two things have changed: one, the air quality due to the California wildfires. We're tracking those air quality index levels very closely. 

"And two, higher forecasted temperatures for the weekend. We just got the forecast from our meteorologist and we're looking, for tournament days, (projected temperatures of) 100, 108, 110, and 113.

"We're continuing to monitor both the AQI and the temperature very closely. 

"If the high temperatures and the AQI converge to a point where we feel that's unhealthy for walking, we have not ruled out carts for players on tournament days.

"In general we’ve heard from our players that they want to walk, that it’s a major championship, and of course in major championships you want to walk.

“But what’s most important right now is the health and safety of our athletes and our caddies."

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