Frenchman Levy is first Covid case on Euro Tour

Frenchman Alex Levy has become the first European Tour player to test positive for Covid-19 following his withdrawal from the Celtic Classic in Wales.

The five-time European Tour winner had initially tested negative after making it known to officials at Celtic Manor that a friend he’d met on a trip home to France over the weekend had tested positive.

However, after being re-tested, Levy, inset, returned a positiveresult, which means he must now self-isolate for 14 days.

His compatriot, former Scottish Open Stroke-play champion Romain Wattel, was also withdrawn from the latest event on the circuit’s new UK Swing after he was identified as having come into contact with Levy.

Levy said: “I told the European Tour immediately after finding out that my friend tested positive. “I informed them of my movements since arriving on site as I wanted to ensure the safety of my fellow professionals and their caddies.”

In a statement, the European Tour said: “Levy, his caddie Tom Ayling and Wattel are now all in selfisolation and the European Tour and its medical team will support all three individuals throughout that period.”

The development overshadowed Belgian Thomas Pieters carding a sevenunder 64, which was made up four bursts of back-toback birdies, to set the pace on the circuit’s return to the 2010 Ryder Cup venue in Newport.

“It is my first event in five months, so it feels nice to get out there and actually put a score down,” said Pieters, who played in the 2016 Ryder Cup at Hazeltine.

Recapturing some of his Austrian Open-winning form, Marc Warren fared best among the Scots with a seven-birdie 66, two shots better than Connor Syme and three fewer than Richie Ramsay, while Stephen Gallacher had a 73 in his first event since the death of his dad.