Harrington positive for Covid-19; PGA of America to allow distance-measuring devices
Pádraig Harrington
European skipper Pádraig Harrington suffered his first reverse of Ryder Cup year when he tested positive for COVID-19 and was forced to withdraw from this week’s AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
The Dubliner (49) returned to the US last week to compete in the Waste Management Phoenix Open, where he missed his first cut since September’s Dubai Duty Free Irish Open in front of crowds limited to 5,000 a day.
He will now undergo a period of self-isolation under American CDC guidelines and may miss next week’s Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club.
“Thanks very much for everyone’s well wishes,” Harrington tweeted. “At the moment I’ve just the symptoms of a cold. If it doesn’t get any worse I’ll take that as a piece of good luck.”
“Harrington will have the PGA TOUR’s full support throughout his self-isolation period under CDC guidelines,” the PGA Tour said in a statement announcing that first alternate Sangmoon Bae would replace him in the field.
The three-time Major champion is believed to be the first Irish touring professional to test positive for Covid-19 since the pandemic struck last March though Graeme McDowell withdrew from last June’s Travelers Championship after his caddie Ken Comboy tested positive for the virus.
The Dubliner had high hopes of his latest stint on US soil having also planned to play in next week’s Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club.
He does not qualify for the World Golf Championships at The Concession or The Players Championship but is scheduled to tee it up in the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill from March 4-7 and the Honda Classic from March 18-21.
The Tour later confirmed that Harrington “can potentially be medically-cleared to compete in next week’s The Genesis Invitational.”
But his loss is another blow to organisers of the Pebble Beach Pro-Am, which will be played without amateurs this year due to the pandemic.
The 156-strong field will play over just two courses — Pebble Beach Golf Links and Spyglass Hill Golf Club — instead of the three while it has also suffered a string of withdrawals in recent days.
While Seamus Power gets his sixth start of the season, world number one Dustin Johnson—the 2009 and 2010 champion— withdrew on his return from winning the Saudi International.
Johnson’s agent, David Winkle said: “Following his successful week in Saudi Arabia, Dustin has decided it would be best to enjoy a week at home before The Genesis Invitational and the World Golf Championships at The Concession. Other than being a bit jet-lagged, he is feeling great and looking forward to the weeks ahead.
“While he is disappointed to miss the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, which is always one of his favourite weeks, he feels his decision is for the best.”
Meanwhile, the PGA of America faces certain controversy after deciding to allow distance measuring devices in all its majors from now on.
The world’s top professionals will be allowed to whip out the laser at Kiawah Island’s Ocean Course from May 20–23 as well as in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship.
The move is designed to improve “the flow of play”, according to Jim Richerson, President of the PGA of America.
“We’re always interested in methods that may help improve the flow of play during our Championships,” Richerson said. “The use of distance-measuring devices is already common within the game and is now a part of the Rules of Golf.
"Players and caddies have long used them during practice rounds to gather relevant yardages.”
Purists will argue that allowing lasers is another blow to the basic tenets of the game, though up and coming PGA Tour star Will Zalatoris (24), who has scorched from outside the top 500 to 49th in the world over the past 12 months, is all for the change.
“Monday qualifiers have been doing it for a couple of years now, we're able to have range finders,” he said at Pebble Beach. “So I don't see a downside to it. I think if anything it will hopefully speed up the game.
"I’m sure that there are some guys that are kind of being Homers and they want the art of getting a yardage, knowing how far things are playing, so it will be interesting.”
