Coronavirus looms over PGA Tour event on Hilton Head Island after positive test
A day after the PGA Tour reported the first player to test positive for coronavirus, a fellow pro said relaxed attitudes to the virus among visitors on Hilton Head Island could be to blame.
Nick Watney became the tour’s first positive COVID-19 test of the restarted 2020 season after he recognized symptoms Friday morning and went to a doctor before the second round of the RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing. Justin Thomas, speaking after playing the third round Saturday, said Watney could have been victim to careless Hilton Head visitors outside the tournament gates.
“I mean, no offense to Hilton Head, but they’re seeming to not take it very seriously,” Thomas said. “It’s an absolute zoo around here. There’s people everywhere. The beaches are absolutely packed. Every restaurant, from what I’ve seen when I’ve been driving by, is absolutely crowded. ... Unfortunately, that’s not on Nick because I know he’s very cautious and has done everything he can, but I would say a lot of people in this area of Hilton Head just aren’t.”
After Watney tested positive, tour officials worked with health experts to investigate the player’s contacts. Eleven people believed to have encountered Watney were tested and results were negative, the tour said in a statement.
Tests to confirm the same samples are pending, the statement said.
The RBC Heritage closes Sunday with the final round. The star-packed field is playing without spectators and grandstands, giving the grounds the tranquil feel of a weekend match among friends.
The specter of the global coronavirus pandemic loomed larger after Watney’s positive test.
Chris Stroud said the topic came up with playing partner Lucas Glover and their caddies. The consensus was surprise after the effective and thorough system the tour seemed to have in place, Stroud said.
“It just shows you how sensitive and how easy it is to pick it up,” said Stroud, who fired an 8-under-par 63 and is in contention. “So I’m being very careful. ... I’m happy to be out here playing. A lot of people still aren’t back to work, so I’m just very fortunate to have a job right now.”
The tour said it tested 369 players, caddies and other personnel before the tournament without a positive result.
Watney withdrew from the event after his positive test. He’ll rest and work to get better through a “self-isolation and recovery period under CDC guidelines,” according to the PGA Tour.
Rory McIlroy, who was near Watney on Friday and talked with him before the positive test, said Saturday he wasn’t among those to be tested again and didn’t feel he was close enough to be concerned. McIlory said Watney told him he was alerted to a possible problem when he woke up and saw that a Whoop Strap fitness band showed an elevated breathing rate.
“There’s a lot of guys on tour now wearing the Whoop,” McIlroy said. “I looked at mine this morning just to see what my respiratory rate was and make sure it was OK, and you go from there.”
Watney played with Vaughn Taylor and Luke List on Thursday. Tests for both Taylor and List came back negative, The Golf Channel’s Rex Hoggard reported Saturday.
Sergio Garcia flew with Watney to the Heritage and was among those who was negative in the latest round of tests, according to Steve DiMeglio, who writes for USA Today and Golfweek. Watney was feeling better Saturday morning, according to a USA Today report.
Golfer Matthew NeSmith, who was informed of Watney’s positive test during a TV interview Friday, praised the protocols in place by the PGA.
“The tour has done a great job,” Nesmith said. “There’s nothing else you can really say.”
RBC Heritage schedule, TV, stream info
The Golf Channel: Sunday from 1-2:30 pm
CBS Sports: Sunday from 3-6 pm
Live stream at PGAtour.com/live Sunday 7:45 a.m. to 3 p.m. (featured groups). Sunday 3 to 6 p.m. (featured holes).
This story was originally published June 20, 2020 at 11:02 AM.
