Open Championship winning hero Shane Lowry fears now even more the worldwide Coronavirus pandemic and growing number of cancelled PGA Tour events could strongly lead to the cancellation of his Claret Jug defence at Royal St. George’s in July.

The PGA of America, and as was sadly expected, has now postponed the staging from May 14-17 of the 2020 PGA Championship at Harding Park in San Francisco.

And then just 30-minutes later the PGA Tour advised a cancellation of a further four events taking to eight the number of the events on the 2019/20 PGA Tour wraparound not going ahead.

There is now big fears for the June 18 to 21 staging of the US Open at the Winged Foot on Long Island and Lowry’s Open Championship four weeks later at the Royal St. George’s course in Kent, England.

Lowry and his young family have elected to remain in Florida rather than return home to Ireland as the world is advised to go into ‘self-isolation’ mode.

Shane Lowry now fearing for the defence of his Open Championship title at Royal St. Georges.

The Royal Portrush winning hero had lost six kilos after picking-up a stomach bug contesting February’s Tour stop in Mexico City and then finished just outside the top-20 at the Honda Classic before being in the field for last week’s cancelled Players Championship.

“The Coronavirus pandemic is changing how we do things like never before,” he said.

“Golf-wise my big concern, and if the growing number of events being postponed and cancelled continues, is whether the Open Championship with go ahead,

“Naturally, I would be very disappointed if The Open was to be cancelled but then in the bigger picture the organising bodies are reacting very professionally to the crisis and we will be guided by their advice.

“It’s been a great nine months since I won at Royal Portrush and the reception has just been great going to tournaments as winner of The Open but you have to be worried for the bigger global picture.

“I guess, if they do call off The Open I will get to be Open Champion for two years and I will have to go celebrating again (smiling)”.

Lowry along with wife, Wendy and young daughter Iris are renting premises on the Ballen Isles estate located next door to PGA National and home to the Honda Classic.

And while he’s surrounded by so many championship standard golf courses, Lowry’s thoughts are also focussed on his extended family back in Co. Clara.

“Playing golf is our chosen career and if we do have to have a couple of months off it’s not the end of the world,” Lowry added.

“I just hope that everyone who may have unfortunately contracted the virus will fully recover as there are people dying.

“I’m thinking also of my family back home in Ireland as my granny is 82 while my dad is 60 with a bit of heart problem while my wife’s sister has three kidney transplants while Wendy’s granny is 88 and they are more important than anyone else.

“I have not been off the phone speaking to everyone back home and making sure that no-one goes visiting unless it is really urgent.

“So even though there will be no tournaments for the foreseeable future we will be better off in Florida and beside there is plenty of courses where I can play a few social rounds.”