Paul Casey favours Ryder Cup delay over coronavirus pandemic

English Ryder Cup veteran Paul Casey believes Europe's title defence of the trophy in Wisconsin this year should be postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The biennial contest between Europe and the US is scheduled for Whistling Straits on the shores of Lake Michigan in September.

Organisers earlier this week described as "inaccurate" a British newspaper report that plans were being made to push back the event by 12 months, as happened in 2001 after the September 11 attacks on the US.

Casey cited that precedent when he was asked whether he would favour a delay of this year's clash while the world dealt with the health crisis.

"Yes is the answer to that," he told the BBC. "I am never a fan of postponing stuff but it's been postponed before, so why can't it happen again?"

Like most other sports, the professional golf calendar has been heavily disrupted by the pandemic.

The first two major championships of the year, April's US Masters and the US PGA in May, have already been postponed.

The US-based PGA Tour, which runs the game's most popular circuit, has cancelled tournaments until mid-May at the earliest.

"The situation is no longer about golf, it's about worrying about people's safety, people's health and the economic impact of that." the PGA said.