Northern Ireland

Graeme McDowell withdraws from tournament after caddie tests positive for Covid-19

Graeme McDowell with his caddie Ken Comboy, who has tested positive for coronavirus. Picture by AP Photo/Chris O'Meara
Graeme McDowell with his caddie Ken Comboy, who has tested positive for coronavirus. Picture by AP Photo/Chris O'Meara Graeme McDowell with his caddie Ken Comboy, who has tested positive for coronavirus. Picture by AP Photo/Chris O'Meara

PORTRUSH-born golfer Graeme McDowell has withdrawn from a tournament in the US after his caddie tested positive for coronavirus.

Ken Comboy returned a positive test on Tuesday, prompting McDowell, who tested negative for the virus earlier this week, to pull out.

McDowell (40) said he was withdrawing from the Travelers Championship in Connecticut this week for the protection of others players and his own wellbeing.

He is the second player to withdraw from the tournament after American golfer Cameron Champ tested positive for Covid-19.

McDowell told Golfweek: "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.

"I'm going to get myself out of here, home to Florida and decide whether I need to quarantine myself from my family."

Comboy believes he may have been exposed to the virus when travelling on a crowded flight after the Charles Schwab Challenge in Texas two weeks ago.

The caddie said he had a mild sore throat last Thursday and went to bed early and reported it in a PGA Tour questionnaire on Saturday.

He was tested later that day and the result came back positive on Tuesday.

McDowell tested negative for the virus on Monday after saying he felt slightly tired last week.

"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," he said.

"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."

Another US golfer, Nick Watney, also tested positive immediately before his second round at last week's RBC Heritage tournament, which marked the sport's return following the lockdown.