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| - Former Masters champion Danny Willett of England is fighting off Covid-19 fatigue at this week's US PGA event in the Dominican Republic as he prepares to return to Augusta. Willett plays at the Corales Puntacana Championship starting Thursday at the Caribbean resort while most of the world's top players compete in the WGC Match Play Championship in Austin, Texas. Willett, who captured the green jacket in 2016, missed The Players Championship after testing positive for Covid-19 and says he's still not fully recovered. "We're probably about 78%. We had it pretty rough for a while," Willett said. "I thought I was going to be all right, young, fit guy, but yeah, we were pretty rough. Me and my wife both had it. We were both in isolation. It wasn't pleasant there for a while. So on the back end now and feeling a hell of a lot better. "Now lucky to be back. Been back in the gym the last five or six days, back hitting balls, feels OK. It's just a case of managing fatigue and making sure I don't over-exert too much because this is the start of a pretty decent run." Willett is down to play the next six weeks but how well he feels will dictate where he plays. "What we're going to do is just take it easy, manage fatigue and see how we're feeling on a weekly basis," he said. Willett, 33, is sure of returning to Augusta National for the Masters on April 8-11. "I think you'll see a lot of guys walking around there with some big smiles on their faces," Willett said of this year's Masters field. "I think it's going to be a very special week this year." Willett shared 25th at the Masters last November, his first made cut at Augusta National since his victory, and looks forward to a limited number of spectators being allowed in April. "It was strange, especially around that place. It was eerily quiet on a few situations," Willett said. "I think people will then relish the fact of having 20-25% of patrons back... I think there will be a real good buzz about the place." js/rcw
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