Watney tests positive for coronavirus
AMErICAN golfer Nick Watney withdrew from the rBC Heritage in South Carolina ahead of the second round yesterday after he tested positive for Covid-19, the PGA Tour said.
Watney, who travelled privately to Hilton Head Island for the tournament and was not on the PGA Tour-provided charter flight, is the first member of the circuit to test positive for coronavirus.
The PGA Tour said upon arriving at Harbour Town for second-round action, Watney indicated he had symptoms consistent with the illness. After consulting with a physician, he was administered a test and found to be positive.
‘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,’ the PGA Tour said in a statement.
Watney played the first round on Thursday in a group with fellow
Americans Vaughn Taylor and Luke List.
The tournament is the second in the PGA Tour’s return from a three-month Covid-19 break and among the first five that will be played without spectators to help stem the spread of the virus.
The PGA Tour said 369 individuals (players, caddies, essential personnel) underwent on-site testing prior to the start of the tournament, with zero positive results.
Meanwhile, Bryson DeChambeau started and ended his round yesterday by missing putts under five feet but still shot a marvellous 64 to be just one shot behind the halfway leader and his playing partner Webb Simpson, who had statistically the best putting round of his entire career.
If there was nothing more to the rebuilt DeChambeau than a quest for increased distance, the devilish Harbour Town course would have quickly found him out. The Mad Scientist has started referring to his driver in terms of a mythological sea monster but, as he acknowledged: ‘This is not a place where you can unleash the Kraken.’
At Colonial last week, it was the Kraken that left everyone open-mouthed, but this time he deployed plenty of stealth to show off some of the other weapons he has added over lockdown.
The lazy look at the massive distances he now hits and raise the tired argument the ball goes too far. But that does DeChambeau a huge disservice in overlooking his prodigious research and tireless work ethic.
The physics major has remodelled his swing and tampered with the shafts and loft of every club in his bag — and all 14 worked a treat yesterday.
‘I’m just in awe of what he’s achieved,’ said former British Open champion Karen Stupples, on American television. ‘When you think of the body changes and all the swing and club changes, that he’s come here with a game plan that leaves his most effective weapon in reserve, it’s enormously impressive.’
On the front nine on the course — DeChambeau’s back nine — the par is 36 and it is no exaggeration to say he could have covered the stretch in 27 blows. Every shot was nailed and the only reason it added up to 30 shots rather than the lower number is that two putts from ten feet singed the edges of holes and he missed another from five feet.
‘It was a good 64 but it could have been a great 61,’ said the world No 12, with good reason.
True, it was the perfect morning for low scoring — highlighted by Canadian Corey Conners shooting 63 to move alongside DeChambeau — but it was still a performance to ensure there is no let-up in the Bryson brouhaha.
The putting stats for former US Open champion Simpson were staggering. The 34-year-old holed no fewer than nine putts over ten feet, and four over 20 feet. Firstround leader Ian Poulter began after lunch knowing he needed a 66 to keep pace with Simpson.