Zach Johnson Out of Major Tournament After Testing COVID Positive

Just days ahead of a major tournament on the PGA Tour, Zach Johnson of Cedar Rapids has announced his withdrawal from the British Open Championship, according to the Cedar Rapids Gazette. The move comes after the news that Johnson tested positive for COVID-19 following the John Deere Classic in Silvis, Illinois over the weekend.

Johnson made a statement via Twitter on Monday,

I am disappointed to announce that I have tested positive for COVID-19 and will have to withdraw from the 2021 Open Championship. I look forward to returning to St. Andrews next year, a place where I have such wonderful memories. Good luck to all the competitors.”

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Johnson won this tournament in 2015, marking his 12th major championship, including the famous donning of the green jacket at the Masters in 2007. According to the Gazette, the Open Championship requires participants to test negative for COVID-19 within 72 hours prior to traveling to the United Kingdom for the event.

The annual Zach Johnson Foundation Classic is still scheduled here in Cedar Rapids for July 27th at Elmcrest Country Club. Continuing with Coronavirus protocols, that event will be open to sponsors only and no spectators. The Zach Johnson Foundation provides tutoring, enrichment, parent engagement strategies, and health support to put students on course to graduate college. It would be a huge disappointment if Johnson were not able to attend, but his status there is still unclear.

Ironically, the PGA was just weeks away from discontinuing its requirement for vaccinated players to be tested for COVID-19, a protocol that will end at the start of the 3M Open on July 22.