Part-time Utah resident Tony Finau became the first PGA Tour player in two months to have his schedule disrupted by COVID-19, having to withdraw Tuesday from the Shriners Hospital for Children Open in Las Vegas after his on-site test came back positive for the coronavirus.
Finau, 31, described himself as “feeling well, and otherwise in good spirits” via Twitter, saying he has “begun a period of self-quarantine to protect others around me.”
Finau, a Salt Lake City native whose family of four children spends the summers in Lehi, established another home in Scottsdale, Ariz., this year.
He most recently competed in the U.S. Open in New York, tying for eighth place in the event that ended Sept. 20. After a two-week break, he was expected to be among the favorites at TPC Summerlin in Las Vegas, where he shot a third-round 62 last October.
Finau will be eligible to return to the PGA Tour once he has two negative tests a minimum of 24 hours apart, according to the tour’s guidelines. Finau, No. 16 in the Official World Golf Ranking, presumably would hope to play in two upcoming, limited-field events, The CJ Cup next week in Las Vegas and the Zozo Championship at Sherwood in California the following week. Both of those tournaments were relocated from Asia in the tour’s revised schedule.
Finau’s next planned appearance in a major tournament is the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club, Nov. 12-15.
Tour members have had relatively few issues with COVID-19 since late June, when seven players withdrew from an event in Connecticut. PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan responded with new safety measures and reinforced protocols at that point.