The Open 2021: Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama and Bubba Watson withdraw because of Covid-19
- Published
Matsuyama claimed victory at the Masters in April
149th Open Championship |
|---|
Venue: Royal St George's, Sandwich, Kent Date: 15-18 July |
Coverage: Daily live text from 06:30 BST, Radio 5 Live from 12:00 and highlights on BBC Two at 20:00 |
Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama is out of the Open Championship after testing positive for Covid-19 and is among a number of players to withdraw.
The 29-year-old has been self-isolating since testing positive during the Rocket Mortgage Classic on 2 July.
"I'm feeling fine but haven't been able to practice," said Matsuyama.
Former Open champion Zach Johnson, South Africa's Louis de Jager and two-time Masters winner Bubba Watson have also all withdrawn for Covid reasons.
Johnson and De Jager returned positive tests, while Watson withdrew due to a close contact testing positive for Covid.
In a post on Twitter, Watson said he was disappointed to miss the Open adding "best of luck to all the players".
Matsuyama said he has continued to deliver positive results, despite being symptom free.
"Combining that with the difficult travel to the UK, my team and I have decided it's best to withdraw to ensure everyone's safety," he said.
"I feel bad missing the Open and look forward to playing again at St Andrews next year. I'd like to thank the many golf fans for their continued concern and support as I strive to return to the game I love as soon as possible."
American Ryan Moore has pulled out of the event with a back injury, meaning there have been 16 withdrawals in all for the 149th Open, taking place at Royal St George's.
Other players to have withdrawn include Matthew Wolff, KH Lee and Danny Lee, who were each replaced by England's Andy Sullivan, France's Antoine Rozner and American Troy Merritt.
Americans Harold Varner III, Brendan Steele and Adam Long, as well as England's Sam Horsfield and South Africa's Dylan Frittelli all now have a place in the field because of the withdrawals.
The R&A said the Open would "operate under strict government oversight", and that players would be restricted from attending bars, restaurants and supermarkets.
Players are required to stay in approved hotels or private accommodation which can be shared by four members of their team, excluding other players.
The Open was cancelled in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic. Up to 32,000 fans a day will be allowed to attend this year's tournament as part of the government's Events Research Programme.
Allow Twitter content?
This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.
30 Animals That Made Us Smarter: The robotic arm that was inspired by elephants
Is there such thing as a perfect penalty? Can science help footballers shoot the perfect shot?
