The rescheduled Masters lost its first player to a COVID-19 and a particularly painful WD by Joaquin Niemann given his current form.
The 2018 Latin America Amateur champion announced the news on Twitter (below) and ESPN.com’s Bob Harig shares the statement in English:
"I have tested positive for coronavirus and unfortunately I will not play in the Masters next week as a result,'' Niemann wrote. "This event means a lot to me, and I have had incredible memories playing as the LAAC champion. I am disappointed but will do everything possible to recover quickly while keeping my family and team safe."
As you might expect from Augusta National, the announcement was handled differently than the PGA Tour, which has disclosed COVID-positives/WD’s with a statement.
The Lords, at least in this case, left the announcement up to the player to announce:
Desafortunadamente testee positivo para coronavirus y no podré jugar @themasters la semana que viene. Este torneo significa mucho para mi, tengo muy buenas memorias de cuando lo jugué como campeón del LAAC y ... pic.twitter.com/QVJobIbcIx
— joaconiemann (@joaconiemann) November 6, 2020