Positive trio play in a PGA bubble

COLLIN Morikawa shot a seven-under 65 yesterday for a one-shot lead at the Workday Charity Open in Ohio, which became the first PGA tournament to pack its COVID-19 positive players into the same grouping.

South Africa’s Dylan Frittelli and Americans Denny McCarthy and Nick Watney were each playing for the first time since testing positive and were grouped together out of an “abundance of caution”, tournament officials said.

Frittelli and McCarthy both shot one-over 73s, while Watney was tied for 147th after struggling to a five-over 77 in the opening round at the Muirfield Village Golf Club course in Dublin, Ohio.

“It definitely felt weird,” Frittelli said.

The three stay in their own bubble. They have limited access to the clubhouse or training facilities at the Ohio-based tournament.

“We have our own little pocket down underneath the old pro shop. The three of us can go in there and have a meal and just chill together,” Frittelli said.

The PGA is allowing a return to competition for players and caddies who continue to test positive for coronavirus if at least 10 days have passed since the symptoms first appeared and 72 hours have passed since fever has disappeared.

“What we’ve learned along the way is that in some instances, individuals can continue to test positive for weeks if not months beyond when their illness started, and the thought is that those individuals are no longer contagious,” tour doctor Tom Hospel said.

American Morikawa had a one-stroke lead over red-hot Canadian Adam Hadwin, who shot a 66 yesterday. Another Canadian, Nick Taylor, led a pack of four at 67 that included Hideki Matsuyama, Zach Johnson and Aaron Wise.