Sergio Garcia Tests Positive for COVID-19, Withdraws from Masters


The 2017 Masters champion won't compete at Augusta National this year.

Sergio Garcia announced Monday that he has tested positive for COVID-19, forcing him to withdraw from the 2020 Masters.

Garcia, the 2017 Masters champion, reported that he began experiencing symptoms over the weekend while driving back from the Houston Open and decided to get tested the following day. 

"The important thing is that my family and I are feeling good," Garcia wrote on Twitter. "We'll come back stronger and give the green jacket a go next April."

Garcia, 40, hasn't missed a major tournament since the 1999 U.S. Open. He won the Sanderson Farms Championship last month, his first PGA Tour victory since his 2017 green jacket. He missed the cut at this weekend's Houston Open. 

Garcia won the 2017 Masters after defeating Justin Rose in a playoff hole, giving the Spaniard his first major title. 

The Masters, which is typically held in April, was postponed until November due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Garcia is not the first athlete forced to withdraw from the Masters due to COVID-19. Last Friday, Joaquin Niemann also announced that he tested positive for the virus, forcing him to skip the Masters.

For this year's Masters, all players and caddies must pass a COVID-19 test before they're admitted onto the grounds. The tournament begins Thursday at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Ga.