In the aftermath of Watney being present at the golf course while he waited for his ultimately positive test, the PGA Tour changed its policy as of Saturday at the Travelers Championship.
After receiving a negative result on a COVID-19 test that he requested Saturday morning, Jason Day played the third round of the Travelers Championship as a single as a precautionary measure.
PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan addressed safety concerns at tour events during an impromptu press conference overnight following five players withdrawing from the Travelers Championship in the past two days due to coronavirus-related issues.
The PGA Tour confirmed the result, taken during a pre-tournament screening, on Tuesday afternoon. Per the tour’s protocols, Champ has to withdraw from the event.
Those who test positive are being told to self-isolate for at least 10 days, and they need to have two negative test results at least 24 hours apart before returning to tour action.
As one of the first professional sports to resume play, golf has an opportunity to set an example about how sports can return to some form of responsible competition and entertainment.
Officials for the tournament announced the decision overnight, citing ongoing travel/border restrictions and government quarantine requirements for the cancellation.
Televising golf tournaments will be even more complicated and more expensive when CBS Sports begins airing them again this week as the PGA Tour resumes its 2020 season at the Charles Schwab Challenge.
The decision for the tour’s restart in September is also largely centred on international travel restrictions, which can present a huge logistic challenge for many players living outside countries where tournaments are staged.