South African player Branden Grace has withdrawn from the PGA Tour’s Barracuda Championship prior to the third round after testing positive for Covid-19.
“I felt great all week. Last night, I was tired and thought it had to do with the altitude.” said Grace, who was in joint second position after 36 holes at Tahoe Mountain Club in Truckee, California.
“This morning, I notified the PGA Tour about my symptoms before going to the golf course. I wanted to get tested out of respect for my peers and everyone involved with the tournament. While it is unfortunate given my position on the leaderboard, the most important thing is our health,” added the 32-year-old.
Grace, who holds one title on the PGA Tour and nine on the European Tour, will have to skip next week’s PGA Championship at TPC Harding Park. He is currently undergoing a self-isolation period of 10 days per CDC guidelines and the PGA Tour’s health and safety protocols.
Grace is the eighth PGA Tour player to test positive for Covid-19 since the tour resumed in early June.
The PGA Tour noted in a statement that it has implemented its response plan in consultation with medical experts, including working with those who may have had close contact with Grace. Grace’s caddie tested negative for Covid-19 but is under quarantine for 14 days in accordance with CDC guidelines and tour protocols.
After conducting necessary contact tracing, the PGA Tour’s medical advisors are not recommending any additional testing at this time.
