Newsletter

Rory McIlroy suggests that he may not return to Europe to play amid the fears of Covid-19

Northern Irishman will participate in the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational in Tennessee this week and play in the USA PGA Championship next week and in the US Open in September.

But when asked about the possibility of returning to Europe for golf tournaments, McIlroy expressed doubts, saying that he could avoid traveling to reduce exposure.
“Honestly, I don’t know if I will see myself returning to Europe this year,” said the world n. 2. “I don’t know.

“I don’t know if I want to travel, I don’t know if I want to be exposed to more things and more people. So I don’t know, I have no idea and I will take it in the week of the week

“I planned my schedule until the US Open, which is obviously a couple of weeks after the Tour Championship, and then honestly I have no idea what I’m going to do next.”

Colleague Lee Westwood and Eddie Pepperell have decided not to travel to San Francisco for the PGA championship next week, with Westwood saying he is “not comfortable”. And McIlroy was in full support of their decisions.

“I understand their condition,” said McIlroy. “I was just saying that I don’t know if I would travel in the fall and go play some of these other events in Europe, but if it was an important championship, it would probably be different and I would probably go play it.

“But this does not mean that what Lee and Eddie are doing is not right, that they feel safer and that their time is better to spend at home and not expose themselves to more people and not have the chance to get sick or get someone other sick.

“So I understand exactly where they come from, but if it were an open championship and I had the opportunity to go further and play, I would probably risk and go to play.”

READ: Is Bryson DeChambeau irreversibly changing golf?

Play without fans

Following the announcement that the August US PGA Championship will take place without fans, the US Open are following suit.

In collaboration with the state of New York, the United States Golf Association (USGA) announced Wednesday in a press release that the 120th championship, scheduled for September 17-20 at the Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, New York, will take place without spectators.

“After months of consultations and scenario planning with local and state health officials, we have jointly decided that hosting the US Open without spectators will offer the best opportunity to conduct the championship safely for everyone involved,” said Mike Davis, CEO of USGA.

“We will miss the excitement of the fans and what their presence brings to the championship. We look forward to welcoming them to the future US Open again.”

The tournament was originally scheduled for June 18-21, but was postponed until April.

“I am delighted to welcome USGA to the US Open Championship at the Winged Foot Golf Club this September,” said Governor Andrew Cuomo.

“Although the tournament will look different this year, with no fans and advanced security protocols, this event is a welcome sight for sports fans across the country and will help restore a sense of normalcy as we rebuild better than before. “

READ: American Michael Thompson wins the second PGA Tour event, 2,702 days after his first

Forced to retire

As the LPGA tour resumes competitive action with the Drive On Championship at Inverness golf course in Toledo, Ohio, one player, Gaby Lopez, was forced to retire after a positive Covid-19 test.

The 26-year-old announced that following the tour’s Covid-19 test process, she has proven positive and is starting her 10-day isolation. Lopez is the first LPGA player to test positively for Covid-19.

He told fans on Twitter that “he feels good and has only very mild symptoms.”
Lopez hits his tee shot in the 15th hole during the first round of the LPGA Gainbridge.
Visit CNN.com/sport for more news, features and videos
“I was very excited to go back to playing the Tour after this long break and while I am disappointed that I will have to wait a little longer, I am happy to have been able to take the test and to make sure I don’t put anyone else at risk “said Lopez, who comes from Mexico, in a statement.

“I am self-insulating and will follow all CDC and LPGA guidelines to return to competing on Tour safely. I feel good and I can’t wait to be able to play Tour again.”

CNN’s Jill Martin contributed to this report.

.

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Trending