Graeme McDowell withdrew from the Travelers Championship on Wednesday morning after being informed that his caddie has tested positive for the coronavirus.
McDowell discussed his plan Tuesday night with Golfweek, saying he will undergo another test Wednesday morning before leaving Connecticut to return home to Florida.
“For the protection of the field and for my own physical and mental well-being, I’m going to take a test tomorrow morning then jump on a private plane,” McDowell told Golfweek. “I’m going to get myself out of here, home to Florida and decide whether I need to quarantine myself from my family.”
David Hearn has replaced McDowell in the Travelers Championship.
McDowell tested negative for COVID-19 on Monday and told Golfweek that he has been asymptomatic for the virus. His longtime caddie, Ken Comboy, began experiencing symptoms last week and tested positive on Tuesday, McDowell told Golfweek.
McDowell missed the cut at last week’s PGA Tour event in South Carolina after attending a friend’s funeral with Comboy on June 15.
“I’d been through a huge amount emotionally and mentally, and a couple of weeks back into it after a few months off you’re going to be a little tired getting your golf legs back,” McDowell told Golfweek. “But the alarm bells have started to ring now that Kenny has failed this test.
“We’re a close-knit team. We roomed together last week. We spent six hours in a car. He’s carrying the virus, so in some way I have to be carrying it, too.”
McDowell is the third golfer to withdraw from PGA Tour events because of the virus. Cameron Champ also withdrew from the Travelers Championship on Tuesday after testing positive, and Nick Watney tested positive during last week’s event in Hilton Head.
