The Asian Tour's Taiwan Masters has been preemptively reduced to 54 holes as Typhoon Krathon continues to wreak havoc on parts of Chinese Taipei this week.
Originally due to begin on Thursday, the opening round of the Asian Tour's second consecutive tournament in the country is now scheduled to start on Friday once the weather front has passed through the area.
Confirming the decision via a statement on social media, the Asian Tour said that local government had - on Wednesday, October 2 - announced the suspension of all work and classes in New Taipei City on Thursday, October 3 due to Typhoon Krathon and that the Taiwan Masters, being played at Taiwan Golf and Country Club in the north of the country, would now be a 54-hole tournament only.
Chokchai Boonprasert, a tournament director on the Asian Tour, said: "The decision is made in the best interests of the tournament and our Asian Tour members."
In a later social-media post, the Tour encouraged people in the area to "stay safe, stay vigilant and avoid going outdoors" alongside a video of high winds having already affected the area and the golf course itself. Small branches and others bits of debris were seen littering Taiwan Golf and Country Club's fairways and greens.
According to reports, one person has already been killed as a result of the storm while two more are missing and a further 70 have been injured. All prospective flights out of the country were cancelled on Wednesday and Thursday, as well.
The weather front had reached 'Super Typhoon' status in recent days before it stalled and weakened somewhat when beginning to move down towards Taiwain's south-west region. According to The Guardian, over 38,000 troops have been placed on standby and nearly 10,000 residents have been evacuated from certain areas in the mountains where high winds and rain continue to hit.
Due to the golf club's location in the north, it is likely to be one of the first safe locations once the storm has passed. When play does get underway, South African Jaco Ahlers will look to defend the title he won in 2023.
Including this week's competition, there are only nine events left on the Asian Tour's schedule in 2024, with John Catlin leading the way in the Order Of Merit. American Catlin has a lead of more than 1,100 points to Spain's David Puig behind him after eight events, although both Puig and New Zealand's Ben Campbell - who is in third - have only played in six.
Catlin also sits top of the International Series Rankings, with the eventual champion earning a spot in the LIV Golf League for 2025. Catlin, who has already made several appearances in the PIF-backed circuit as a replacement for injured players this year, is less than 150 points in front of Campbell after four International Series tournaments.
There are still six International Series events remaining this term, starting with the Black Mountain Championship and International Series Thailand in consecutive weeks later this month.
Those tournaments will feature a trio of golf influencers after the Asian Tour confirmed invites for Luke Kwon, Taco Golf, and Mac Boucher in the past few days.
PGA Tour stars Justin Rose and Tom Kim are also set to tee it up on the Asian Tour later this season, with both taking part in the Hong Kong Open - an event Rose won back in 2015.
