Sergio Garcia OUT of Masters after testing positive for coronavirus, joining Joaquin Nieman in missing Major
SERGIO GARCIA has become the second player to withdraw from the Masters, after testing positive for Coronavirus.
The 2017 Masters champion joins Joaquin Nieman of Chile in pulling out of the re-scheduled Major, which starts on Thursday.
Garcia took a test after missing the cut at last week’s Houston Open, and the Spanish star said the result confirmed his worst fears.
He explained: “On Saturday night when I got back from Houston, I started to notice an itchy throat and a slight cough.
“These symptoms continued with me on Sunday, so I decided to get tested for COVID-19, as did my wife Angela. Fortunately she tested negative but I did not.”
“After 21 years of not missing a Major championship, I will sadly miss the Masters this week.
“The important thing is that my family and I are feeling good. We’ll come back stringer and give the green jacket a go next April.”
Among Garcia’s playing partners in Texas was another Masters competitor, Tony Finau.
He tested positive for Covid 19 last month, and was forced to pull out of the Shriners tournament in Las Vegas.
He is considered unlikely to be affected after having recovered from the virus once, but will undergo further tests before being allowed to tee it up at Augusta.
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The last golf major Garcia did not compete in was the US Open way back in 1999 meaning this week ends a streak of 84 consecutive appearances.
He had recorded second-placed finishes at the PGA Championship and The Open - as well as third at the US Open - before finally landing his maiden win at Augusta three years ago.
The Real Madrid fan beat Justin Rose in a play-off to secure the title, taking a record-breaking 74 majors to land his first victory.
And he was excited to return to the site of his greatest sporting triumph this year after the tournament was postponed from April due to the pandemic.
Garcia told the : "I love Augusta. It’s an amazing golf course. It’ll be fun to see it in November, see how it plays.
"I feel good about my game. I feel like I’m hitting the ball nicely.
"I feel like every part of my game is in very good shape — it obviously could be better without a doubt, but it can always be. But I’m excited about it.
"I just hope and wish that I can go to Augusta next week and carry some of those good feelings and give myself a shot at a second jacket. I feel good about it."
Asked directly about if he had any fears of catching Covid-19, he added: "Of course, as everyone does.
"But at the end of the day, you still have to live your life and you have to be careful while you do.
"You can’t just be in an absolute bubble and do nothing."
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Tiger Woods won his fifth green jacket with a remarkable comeback victory last year.
But Bryson DeChambeau is the favourite ahead of Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas and Dustin Johnson going into the tournament which starts on Thursday.
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