'Difficult news': Adam Scott tests positive for coronavirus

Adam Scott has been forced to withdraw from the Zozo Championship after testing positive for COVID-19.

Australia’s former Masters champion announced on Wednesday that he tested positive for coronavirus and will not play at the PGA event at Sherwood.

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Scott’s exit comes hot on the heels of Dustin Johnson, the World’s No. 1 player, testing positive last week at the CJ Cup at Shadow Creek in Las Vegas.

Scott has not played since the US Open and has played only four times - two majors and two FedEx Cup playoff events - in the four months since the PGA Tour returned from the COVID-19 shutdown.

The news of his positive test comes on the eve of Thursday’s Zozo Championship, and just over three weeks before the Masters, which has been delayed from its usual Spring date, begins in Augusta.

The 40-year-old ‘Scotty’ remains the only Australian ever to have won the event, back in 2013.

“While it’s difficult news to receive - as I really looked forward to playing this week - my focus now is on recovery for the final stretch of the fall,” Scott said in a statement.

Scott, who won at Riviera in February, is No.15 in the world.

He is the third player from the top 20 to have tested positive in the last three weeks, the others being Johnson and Tony Finau.

After self-isolating for 10 days, Scott will not have to be tested again for three months under CDC guidelines the PGA Tour has adopted.

Coronavirus wreaks havoc on golf

Meanwhile, the World Challenge golf was cancelled on Tuesday due to travel restrictions amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The 18-player event, hosted by Tiger Woods, was scheduled to start on December 3 in Albany in the Bahamas.

“Given the current global restrictions and ongoing developments resulting from COVID-19, the 2020 Hero World Challenge will not be played this year,” read a statement from tournament organisers.

“This decision was made with the health and wellbeing of all tournament constituents and the Albany community in mind.

“We look forward to hosting 18 of the top players in the world and welcoming tournament guests to Albany, Bahamas next year.”

Henrik Stenson is the tournament’s defending champion, with Rickie Fowler, Bubba Watson and Jordan Spieth among the other recent winners.

And last week Golf Australia aborted plans to reschedule the summer’s premier three events, reluctantly cancelling the Australian PGA Championship, Australian Open and Women's Australian Open.

PGA of Australia chief executive Gavin Kirkman, ALPG chief executive Karen Lunn and Golf Australia chief executive James Sutherland said all three events, which were to have been played in February, won’t proceed because of the global pandemic.

“It's unprecedented and a real blow for Australian golf and its fans,” Kirkman said.

“We have collectively spent months in exhaustive consultation with all relevant authorities and our sanctioning partners to try to find a way to stage all three events safely and at that world-class level to which we've all become accustomed.

“But even with multiple contingency plans, it has reached a point where decisions have to be made and this, regrettably, is the one we've had to take.”

with AAP

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