CROMWELL, Conn. _ It was an odd scene out at TPC River Highlands as Matt Wallace made his way through the course, Friday.
It's been well-documented there would be no fans at the PGA Tour event due to coronavirus. But not only were the fans missing _ so was the rest of Wallace's group.
Wallace played the full second round with only caddie Dave McNeilly watching on after group member Denny McCarthy tested positive for the virus Friday morning. Out of caution, the third group member, Bud Cauley, opted to withdraw, as well.
"I can understand why he wouldn't play," Wallace said of Cauley. "I haven't felt better myself. I'm playing with a chance to change my career if I win, so why wouldn't I play? It's black and white for me. I tested negative and I can go play."
Wallace, a 30-year-old native of England, shot 2-over par on Friday and missed the cut, after finishing even par on Thursday. Wallace expressed he was a little upset that the tour allowed him to play on his own as opposed to dropping another golfer from a separate grouping down to play with him.
"Just a bit frustrated that maybe ... I don't know what the PGA Tour might think, but would (Dustin Johnson) play on his own? Would Rory (McIlroy) play on his own? I probably doubt it, so they could have dropped one of the players back from in front or maybe from behind to go ahead and play with me. Just don't think it was a great move to leave someone out on their own in the middle of the pack."
Wallace woke up at 8 a.m. to a call from the Tour saying that McCarthy didn't feel well and had to be tested, as well as he, Cauley and their caddies. Wallace and McNeilly, who both felt fine in the morning, arrived to the course at 9 and were tested. The tour made sure that Wallace stayed clear of everyone else on site, so that if he were infected, he wouldn't spread the virus.
Two and a half hours later, Wallace said, he received the results and began warming up.
"To say the least that some people thought that I may have been positive and they stayed well clear isn't a nice feeling," he said. "Let's put it that way."
McCarthy and Cauley's withdrawals follows Cameron Champ, who tested positive and withdrew Tuesday before the tournament began. Graeme McDowell withdrew after his caddie tested positive before traveling to Connecticut. Brooks Koepka also withdrew after his caddie tested positive and his brother Chase Koepka did the same after playing a practice round with his brother and McDowell. Webb Simpson withdrew as a precaution.
"I stayed well clear of them yesterday, no fist bumps, none of that," Wallace said. "I've done everything at night that I have done the last three weeks while testing negative, I just got some food, stayed in the hotel room, came up here, got tested, tested negative, Dave tested negative, we're all clean, we went out and played, that's pretty much it for me."
