Rory McIlroy calls for PGA Tour players to be tested for coronavirus

Rory McIlroy urged the PGA Tour to “shut it down” if any players or caddies test positive for coronavirus as the pandemic overshadowed the opening round of The Players Championship.

McIlroy glossed over an erratic start to the defence of his title at TPC Sawgrass after he birdied the final three holes to salvage a level-par 72 which left him nine shots behind Hideki Matsuyama, and the world No 1 called for all players and caddies to be tested for the virus.

PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan announced earlier on Thursday that the remaining three rounds of the flagship event would be played without spectators, a policy which will also be enforced for the next four tournaments, and the decision did not come as a surprise to McIlroy.

But the 30-year-old expects the Tour to follow the likes of the NBA and MLS and announce a suspension of the season should any tests on players, caddies or backroom staff come back positive for COVID-19.

Asked what should be done if a player gets the virus, McIlroy said: “We need to shut it down then. More than anything else, everyone needs to get tested.

“I saw that obviously there’s commercial labs now are testing at some capacity, I guess, but I think for us to keep playing on Tour, all the players and people that are involved need to get tested and make sure that no one’s got it.

“Obviously everyone knows you can have it and not have symptoms and pass it on to someone that’s more susceptible to getting very ill from it.

“I watched Jay’s press conference today. He made some very, very good points, and look, it will be a little strange to play here over the next few days with no fans, but that’s what we have to do to try to, I guess, do our bit in terms of trying to stop the spread and trying to keep everyone healthy.

“The PGA Tour are liaising with the best health officials and CDC and WHO, whoever it is that they’re dealing with, and if they think that it’s safe for play to go ahead but with no spectators, then I guess who am I to say any different?

“So it’s scary time, and I think that the Tour have made a step in the right direction and I think we just have to play it by ear and take it day by day, and if someone said to me yesterday, today’s over-reaction could look like tomorrow’s under-reaction. So just got to take it day by day and see where this thing goes.”

(c) Sky Sports 2020: Rory McIlroy calls for PGA Tour players to be tested for coronavirus