A Mystery PGA Tour Player Has Reportedly Tested Positive For COVID At The RBC Heritage (UPDATE: It’s Nick Watney)

UPDATE 1:11PM Pacific: The PGA put out a release confirming that Nick Watney did in fact withdraw due to a positive COVID test. They also added:

“[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.”

Reports have started to swirl that a PGA player tested positive for COVID during the ongoing RBC Heritage tournament. The event has proceeded on without delay but the event and organization have yet to reveal which player, if any, has the virus. The report started with Golf Digest’s Brian Wacker:

Speculation online, including from Awesemo’s Greg Ehrenberg, point to the recently withdrawn Nick Watney:

It’s unclear if a PGA player really tested positive for COVID, however Nick Watney withdrew today and it’s not clear why. He played with Vaughn Taylor and Luke List yesterday.

— Greg Ehrenberg (@gehrenbergdfs) June 19, 2020

PGA protocol for COVID would indicate that the tournament does not shut down as a result of a positive test. The player who tests positive would have to withdraw immediately then self-isolate for 10 days. He would be allowed to participate again if he clocks two negative tests 24 hours apart.

Regardless of which player tested positive, one thing is clear: All of our DFS lineups should be refunded just to be safe. Not the ones where six out of six guys make the weekend cut, those lineups are obviously completely uncompromised by COVID (or my incompetence). But all of the ones below the cash line? Yeah. Those dudes definitely got affected by coronavirus. No way to dispute it.

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