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JOHANNESBURG. — South African golfer Branden Grace has tested positive for the coronavirus after taking part in the Barracuda Championship at Greenwood Golf Course at Tahoe Mountain Club in Truckee.

The PGA Tour released a statement confirming that Grace has withdrawn from the third round of the tournament after testing positive.

“I felt great all week. Last night, I was tired and thought it had to do with the altitude,” said Grace in the statement.

“This morning, I notified the PGA Tour about my symptoms before going to the golf course. I wanted to get tested out of respect for my peers and everyone involved with the tournament. While it is unfortunate given my position on the leaderboard, the most important thing is our health.”

Grace, who is the 79th-ranked golfer in the world, made the weekend cut and was tied for second with 20 points.  Grace’s caddie tested negative for Covid-19, however in the Tour’s health and safety protocols, he will quarantine for a period of 14 days.

After conducting necessary contact tracing, the Tour’s medical advisors are not recommending any additional testing at this time.

The PGA Tour implemented a response plan in consultation with medical experts, including working with those who may have had close contact with Grace.

“Grace will have the PGA Tour’s full support throughout his self-isolation period of 10 days per CDC guidelines and TOUR health and safety protocols,” read the statement.

Grace is the eighth PGA Tour player to test positive and the second South African after Dylan Frittelli caught the virus last month.

Grace, who has won one PGA Tour title so far, is the reigning SA Open title winner after claiming a victory on home soil earlier this year. — Sport24