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The PGA Tour has confirmed that four players, including world No.8 Tyrrell Hatton, will be forced to sit out of this week’s Valspar Championship due to COVID-19.

Positive COVID-19 tests on Monday, forced Will Gordon and PGA Tour winner Brice Garnett to pull out of the tournament.

The news will come as a blow to Garnett, who was seeking to use his T11 finish at the Zurich Classic, with partner Scott Stallings, as a springboard to continue what has, so far, been a strong season for the Missourian with two Top-10 finishes.

“I don’t get to play this week, but I do have two Ticketmaster tickets available each day if anyone is in the Tampa area and wanting to watch some golf,” tweeted Garnett following the news.

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On the flipside, the WD for Gordon continues a tough year of golf which has seen him pick up just a single Top-25, with the 24-year-old missing the cut at his last two events.

On Tuesday, Sepp Straka, 27, and six-time European Tour winner Tyrrell Hatton joined the two other players in having to withdraw following positive COVID-19 tests.

“Hey guys, Sadly I have had to withdraw this week from the Valspar Championship after testing positive for COVID-19 today,” said Hatton on social media. “I will now be self-isolating under the CDC guidelines. I wish everyone well this week and look forward to being back out on tour soon.”

Englishman Hatton, who came into the week at world No.8, will be disappointed not to be able to build on a solid T8 finish at the Zurich Classic with teammate Danny Willett.

The PGA Tour has said that all players “will have the PGA Tour’s full support under the self-isolation period under CDC guidelines.”

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Replacing the four players withdrawing from the Valspar Championship is, Tim Wilkinson, JJ Spaun, Nelson Ledesma and Kiradech Aphibarnrat.

The Valspar Championship, being played for the first time since 2019 due to its cancellation last year, is set to get underway on Thursday at Innisbrook Resort’s Copperhead course.