Bubba Watson has withdrawn from The Open Championship after he was identified as being a close contact of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.
He has been replaced in the field by Brendan Steele.
Watson said in a statement 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 the other players and personnel on board.”
Please read… pic.twitter.com/ryN6tDL2TU
— bubba watson (@bubbawatson) July 11, 2021
Watson’s caddie, Ted Scott, tweeted that he and Watson are “gutted” by the development.
Rules for close contacts are stricter in the United Kingdom for golfers deemed to be a close contact than in the United States. Close contacts in the U.K. are forced to withdraw from tournaments. In the U.S., close contacts undergo daily testing.