Team GolfJuly 3: The PGA Tour for the second straight week will have an extra player in the field as 157 becomes a recurring theme. Cameron Chase was added to the field of 156 this week for the Rocket Mortgage and next week Chase Koepka will be the 157thplayer at the Workday Charity Open at Muirfield Village Golf Club.
Chase Koepka’s selfless act of withdrawing from the Travelers Championship in a rather strange set of circumstances out of an abundance of caution, despite testing negative for COVID-19, won him a lot of admirers. Now he also has a spot on the Workday Charity Open field. Koepka’s addition will expand the field size to 157 for second week in a row.
Koepka, who also has a standing invitation to Travelers Championship 2021, will have more time than Cameron Champ to physically and mentally be ready for the event.
Koepka had come through the Monday qualifiers for the Travelers Championship but withdrew prior to the start of the event after having close contact with two caddies who subsequently tested positive.
So, he will now be an addition into next week’s Workday Charity Open field at Muirfield Village Golf Club, as confirmed by the PGA TOUR.
In a statement on Koepka, the PGA TOUR Chief of Operations Tyler Dennis, said, “ “Given the extraordinary circumstances that led to his withdrawal after Monday qualifying, a start in the Workday Charity Open as a result of his selfless act was the right thing to do.”
He added, “The term – abundance of caution – was not part of our vernacular four months ago and to that point, I can’t say enough about our players that put their TOUR – and the health and safety of their peers and all involved with our tournaments and our communities – above their own goals.”
This week Cameron Champ had been included in the field at the last minute after testing negative three straight days. He had earlier withdrawn after a positive Covid-19 test before the Travelers. It is not clear whether his positive was a ‘false positive’.
In any case he went into isolation and was then allowed to go home after three negative tests. Through his manager, he was asked this Wednesday whether he would like to play at Rocket Mortgage.
Champ seized the chance and barely managed to make it to the venue with an hour to spare after the mandatory arrival tests.
In the first round Champ returned a card of three-under 69.
