Masters contenders will be 'nervous' about Covid, says Dustin Johnson

World No 1 Dustin Johnson reckons the majority of his Masters rivals next week will be feeling "nervous" about catching COVID-19 in the build up to the rescheduled major.

Dustin Johnson pictured during his last event, the US Open at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, New York. Picture: Jamie Squire/Getty Images

The American made the prediction as he came out of his isolation period after missing two tournaments due to testing positive for the virus.

Due to the fact that he is deemed to no longer be contagious, Johnson was not required to take a test for this week's Vivint Houston Open and won't need to do so in advance of the Masters either.

"Absolutely," he replied to being asked if a player waiting for a test at Augusta National should be feeling nervous. "The only good thing that came out of this is I know I'm playing next week at the Masters. Yeah, I would be nervous, for sure."

After winning the FedEx Cup for the first time, Johnson was flying when he tested positive ahead of the CJ Cup at Shadow Creek in Las Vegas last month.

He was forced to withdraw from that event and also missed the following week's Zozo Championship in Los Angeles as he quarantined.

"It's one of those things where because I had no idea where I got it from, obviously I thought about it and tried to figure it out," he said.

"I had every person that I had been around, people that have been in my house, you know, any person that I would come in contact with, my friends, family, people that work

for me, every single one of them got test. Not (wife) Paulina, the kids, everybody, not one person had it.

"The only thing I can figure is I got it in Vegas. I don't even know how I got it there, but that's the only place I could have got it because not one person I was around

had it. And nobody got it from me, either."

Johnson, who tied for second behind Tiger Woods in last year's Masters after a closing 68, added of his untimely spell on the sidelines: "It was one of those things I was, like, waiting to get sick because you know you have it and you're sitting there. But for me it was very mild, and obviously I'm very thankful for that.

"It definitely puts a wrench in your plans on what you were trying to do. Obviously I was planning on playing Shadow Creek and Sherwood, those two events. I had a lot more time off than I was planning on.

"Obviously stuck in a room for 11 days is not fun. That was more challenging than being sick. I watched a lot of TV, but even then I ran out of stuff to watch. Yeah, it was really boring."

Adam Scott, the 2013 Masters champion, is also making his return in the Houston event after testing positive around the same time as Johnson.

Making his first appearance since returning to winning ways in the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in Las Vegas, Martin Laird is in the field as well along with fellow Scot Russell Knox.

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