Tour Players/Caddies Testing Positive for COVID-19

[iacas]

Heard from someone who would know: four Korn Ferry Tour people* tested positive for COVID-19 and are out at this week's event.

* The asterisk is because I don't know if it was players or caddies. I'm also not seeing news of this anywhere online, so I'm hiding the topic for now.

[iacas]

Update: the four positive tests:

• were from the home kits before players left for the events.
• were all Korn Ferry Tour people.
• this is scuttlebutt and hearsay from the Colonial event, where it's being talked about amongst the players, caddies, coaches, etc.

[iacas]

No COVID-19 Cases At Colonial, But Four Test Positive Within Korn Ferry Tour — Geoff Shackelford

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[gjunkie57]

This is going to complicate restarting the tour. How are these guys getting compensated if they cannot play? Aren’t they independent contractors?

[pganapathy]

1 hour ago, gjunkie57 said:

This is going to complicate restarting the tour. How are these guys getting compensated if they cannot play? Aren’t they independent contractors?

As independent contractors, I don't think they would be eligible for compensation, unless the tour has insurance of some kind to cover cases like this.  Besides, I don't see why they need to be compensated.  If a person chooses not to sign a contract to work for somebody, it is their choice.  They are then free to play anywhere to earn money.  I guess the ideal is for players on any tour of this kind to take insurance.  Consider the case of Anthony Kim, who received over 10 million dollars as he couldn't play anymore.  I feel the tour isn't and shouldn't be responsible for players health.  All they should do is give them a medical exemption to be able to play when they are healthy again 🤷‍♂️

[turtleback]

On 6/11/2020 at 5:00 AM, gjunkie57 said:

This is going to complicate restarting the tour. How are these guys getting compensated if they cannot play? Aren’t they independent contractors?

Why would this be treated any differently than an an injury or illness?  So the answer to how they will be compensated is they won't.  Who would you think is responsible for compensating them? 

[iacas]

42 minutes ago, turtleback said:

Why would this be treated any differently than an an injury or illness?  So the answer to how they will be compensated is they won't.  Who would you think is responsible for compensating them? 

They’re being compensated because it’s not like any other injury or disease.

They’re able to play. The Tour isn’t letting them.

I’ve heard the compensation is quite high. $100k on the PGA Tour and $10k KF (not per event).

[chspeed]

It's unclear, at least from the article, if they tested positive for the disease or for the antibodies (serum test).

[Vinsk]

1 hour ago, chspeed said:

It's unclear, at least from the article, if they tested positive for the disease or for the antibodies (serum test).

There’s no reason to test them for antibodies. Those results have no bearing on ability to play. Also, the ticket said ‘NP’ for type of test which is Nasopharyngeal...which is not used for Ab testing.

[boogielicious]

14 hours ago, Vinsk said:

Nasopharyngeal

And I bet you didn’t have to check the spelling of this! That word always sounded nasty to me. A few years back I had my throat scoped monthly for almost two years. It got to the point where I almost didn’t feel it. But if you were used to it, this test can make you gag.

[Yukari]

No positive tests on PGA Tour; KFT reports two

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For the second consecutive week the PGA Tour reported no positive COVID-19 tests. But two more were reported on the Korn Ferry Tour after...

So KFT has two more caddies being tested positive for this week. 

[Missouri Swede]

Nick Watney has tested positive.

PGA TOUR Statement on Nick Watney WD

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PGA TOUR member Nick Watney has withdrawn from the RBC Heritage prior to the second round after testing positive for COVID-19. On Friday, prior to arriving at the tournament, he...

 

[DeadMan]

Doesn’t seem like a great situation. 

[Vinsk]

51 minutes ago, DeadMan said:

Doesn’t seem like a great situation. 

It’s probably fine.

[Yukari]

Perhaps they should all wear a mask?  Just saying...

As I've said before, I do when I play.  Call it a belt-and-suspender approach.

[Vinsk]

21 minutes ago, Yukari said:

Perhaps they should all wear a mask?  Just saying...

As I've said before, I do when I play.  Call it a belt-and-suspender approach.

If they’re social distancing then masks simply aren’t necessary. Playing golf with a mask is not necessary unless other people are all over you.

[iacas]

11 minutes ago, Vinsk said:

If they’re social distancing then masks simply aren’t necessary. Playing golf with a mask is not necessary unless other people are all over you.

Thank you. Let's keep science at the forefront here.

[Shindig]

25 minutes ago, Vinsk said:

If they’re social distancing then masks simply aren’t necessary. Playing golf with a mask is not necessary unless other people are all over you.

Well, they're useful if you're in a bunker and you think you're about to cause a cloud to come up.  Same reason I came to really like wearing glasses when I first had to do so.  

But as far as the disease considerations, you're right.