Thursday 9 July 2020 17:38, UK
Three PGA Tour golfers have been given the go-ahead to feature at the Workday Charity Open this week, despite still returning positive tests for coronavirus.
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Dylan Frittelli, Denny McCarthy and Nick Watney are all allowed to play at Muirfield Village after the PGA Tour modified its health and safety plan, with players or caddies continuing to test positive for COVID-19 now able to return to action under certain guidelines.
The clarification means a player or caddie who continues to test positive after 10 days can now return to the PGA Tour, in accordance with the Centers for Disease Control's guidelines for returning to work, providing they have have not had a fever or respiratory symptoms for at least 72 hours.
The Tour's medical advisors and the CDC have indicated PCR tests have shown a possibility of a persistent positive test, even after the infectious virus is no longer present and the player or caddie is no longer contagious.
All three players have been grouped together for the first two rounds by the PGA Tour 'out of an abundance of caution', with the trio not having access to any indoor facilities within the tournament grounds.
The Tour refer to the changes as a "symptom-based model", with any player or caddie going forward that is still testing positive after 10 days but has not had symptoms for 72 hours going to compete their on their own or in a group with players under the same situation.
Watney was the first PGA Tour player to test positive and withdrew ahead of the second round of the RBC Heritage, while Frittelli and McCarthy both received positive tests during the Travelers Championship.
The Tour announced last week anyone testing positive who has never had any symptoms could return to competition if they returned two negative tests - at least 24 hours apart - which allowed Cameron Champ to compete at the Rocket Mortgage Classic.
Watch the Workday Charity Open throughout the week live on Sky Sports. Live coverage continues on Friday with Featured Groups from 11.45am on Sky Sports Golf.
