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Jan. 5 (UPI) -- Golfer Cameron Champ withdrew from the Tournament of Champions after he tested positive for COVID-19, the PGA Tour announced. "Cameron is naturally quite disappointed not to be able to return to action in Maui," Champ's representatives said in a statement, included in a PGA Tour news release.
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"Thankfully, however, he feels good and we were able to confirm this breakthrough case while he was still at home in Houston."
The No. 83 player in the Official World Golf Ranking was expected to be part of the 39-player field for the tournament, which runs from Thursday through Sunday at the Plantation Course at Kapalua in Maui, Hawaii.
The tournament only features winners from the PGA Tour from the previous season and the gold medalist from the Olympics.
Champ qualified with a win at the 2021 3M Open on July 25 in Blaine, Minn. He tied for 31st last year in Kapalua. He tied for 14th in 2020 and 11th in 2019, respectively.
No. 12 Harris English is the defending champion. No. 1 Jon Rahm, No. 2 Collin Morikawa, No. 3 Dustin Johnson, No. 4 Patrick Cantlay, No. 5 Bryson DeChambeau, gold medalist Xander Schauffele (No. 6), No. 8 Justin Thomas, No. 14 Jordan Spieth and No. 33 Phil Mickelson are among the top golfers who will join English in the 2022 field.
The winner of the 2022 Tournament of Champions will receive $1.476 million of the tournament's $8.2 million prize purse.
The first round of the tournament airs from 6 to 10 p.m. EST Thursday on Golf Channel. Rahm and Thomas are among the favorites to claim the title in Kapalua.
