Nick Watney Is The First PGA Tour Player To Test Positive For Coronavirus, Withdraws From The RBC Heritage

PGA Tour- PGA TOUR member Nick Watney has withdrawn from the RBC Heritage prior to the second round after testing positive for COVID-19. On Friday, prior to arriving at the tournament, he indicated he had symptoms consistent with the illness and after consulting with a physician, was administered a test and found to be positive. Nick will have the PGA TOUR’s full support throughout his self-isolation and recovery period under CDC guidelines. For the health and well-being of all associated with the tournament and those within the community, the TOUR has begun implementing its response plan in consultation with medical experts including working with those who may have had close contact with Nick.

Watney, who traveled privately to Hilton Head Island for the tournament and was not on the PGA TOUR-provided charter flight, tested negative upon arrival. He is the first PGA TOUR member to test positive for Coronavirus. A total of 369 individuals (players, caddies, essential personnel) underwent on-site testing prior to the start of the tournament, with zero positive results.

And there it is. Given the current world we're living in, a PGA Tour player testing positive for coronavirus felt somewhat inevitable and now there is one in Nick Watney. Obviously not great news but it'd be a stretch to call it surprising. Luckily it sounds like Watney flew private to Hilton Head instead of on the charter flight with the rest of the players. The very last thing we want is a player who has coronavirus to be on the charter flight giving it to every other golfer and this whole thing collapses on itself and we don't have golf anymore.

I'd have to look it up but I think the PGA Tour's plan/protocol is simply to have Watney withdraw from the tournament (which he has), have him self isolate for two weeks and the Tour just keeps on moving along. They obviously have to re-test Luke List and Vaughn Taylor since Watney played with them during round one and go from there. Here's to hoping Watney is the only one who tests positive and the whole damn Tour doesn't shut down. All the best to Nick Watney and to a speedy recovery.