[ad_1]
Bubba Watson withdrew from the Open after being identified as close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19.
He was replaced on the pitch by Brendan Steele.
Watson said in a press release that he is vaccinated against COVID-19 but “not enough time has passed for me to comfortably join the charter flight and risk exposure to other players and staff on board.”
Please read … pic.twitter.com/ryN6tDL2TU
– bubba watson (@bubbawatson) July 11, 2021
Watson’s youngest, Ted Scott, tweeted that he and Watson are “gutted” by development.
Close contact rules are stricter in the UK for golfers deemed to be close contact than in the US. Close contacts in the UK are forced to withdraw from tournaments. In the United States, close contacts are tested daily.
Former Open champion David Duval also stepped down on Sunday, bringing the number of players who had planned to play but pulled out to 13.
The R&A did not say why Duval chose to step down. He won the Open Championship in 2001 at Royal Lytham & St. Annes.
John Catlin, a Californian who plays exclusively on the European Tour, replaced Duval on the pitch.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
[ad_2]
Source link