Golf: Woodland tests positive for COVID-19, withdraws from Honda Classic

[March 16, 2021]    (Reuters) - Former U.S. Open champion Gary Woodland and Scott Piercy have withdrawn from this week's Honda Classic in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, after both players tested positive for COVID-19, the PGA Tor said on Monday.

Gary Woodland plays his shot from the 15th tee during the third round of World Golf Championships at The Concession golf tournament at The Concession Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports

World number 51 Woodland competed at last week's Players Championship in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, where he missed the cut after playing the opening two rounds at TPC Sawgrass with Billy Horschel and Ian Poulter.

Piercy, a four-times winner on the PGA Tour who is ranked 188th in the world, finished in a share of 69th at the Players

Championship where he played the final round with South Korea's Lee Kyoung-hoon.

Woodland, who captured the most recent of his four PGA Tour victories at the 2019 U.S. Open, will be replaced in the field at PGA National by Sebastian Cappelen while D.J. Trahan will replace Piercy.

(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto, editing by Pritha Sarkar)

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