Masters champion Matsuyama to miss The Open due to Covid-19

Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama has withdrawn from the Open Championship at Royal St George's after returning a positive Covid-19 test.

The Japanese world number 18 tested positive ahead of the second round of the Rocket Mortgage Classic on 2nd July and has been self-isolating since.

He is currently symptom-free but subsequent PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) tests have continued to show positive results.

Twenty-nine-year-old Matsuyama has been replaced in the year's final Major - which begins on Thursday (15th July) - by American Harold Varner III.