Wat ney tests positive on P GA Tour

Five-time PGA Tour winner Nick Watney tested positive for the coronavirus, the first player with a confirmed infection since golf resumed a full schedule last week.

Watney immediately withdrew from the RBC Heritage on Friday and must self-isolate for at least 10 days under the PGA Tour's protocols.

He did not return a telephone call seeking comment. Watney played the opening round with Vaughn Taylor and Luke List, and a rules official notified them at the turn of the positive test.

"I was a little shocked, to be honest," Taylor said.

"Heart started racing, got a little nervous. Just hope Nick is doing well and we get through this."

Watney missed the cut last week in the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial in Fort Worth, Texas. He travelled on his own to South Carolina, and his coronavirus test upon arrival at Harbour Town was negative.

Before arriving to the course for his second round, he reported symptoms consistent with COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus. Watney was tested again, and the result came back positive.

Si Woo Kim saw him in passing on the range, and Rory McIlroy said he chatted with Watney on the putting green. McIlroy said they were at a distance, and that Watney sent him a text about the positive result after McIlroy finished his round.

"He was just saying, 'Look, I hope I didn't get too close to you.' He feels badly that he was here today at the golf course," McIlroy said.

"I said to him, 'If I was in your position, I probably would have been here, too. At this point, you just have to concentrate on getting better and getting healthy."

List won last week on the Korn Ferry Tour, where one player and three caddies tested positive before the event and did not come to the courses, and two non-players tested positive before this week's event, both in Florida.