Tour Players/Caddies Testing Positive for COVID-19

[David in FL]

2 hours 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.

Who are you “protecting”.

The guy 200 yards away?

 

 

[DeadMan]

4 hours ago, Vinsk said:

It’s probably fine.

My question is: where was Watney besides the range? Did he go into the clubhouse to use the bathroom or something? How did he get to the course. Anybody outside is probably fine, but how many people did he come into contact with inside? Him showing up at the course while feeling sick is monumentally stupid, even if the risk of spreading it was low.

The bigger issue, for me, is how the PGA Tour handled it. Their statement says he reported symptoms before the round on Friday. How the hell did they let him on the grounds? If I'm a player, it feels like their protocols are really bad at this moment. More importantly, what are health departments with jurisdiction over the next events thinking? 

This is a good article on what happened:

Watney first on PGA Tour to test positive for coronavirus

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HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. (AP) — Five-time PGA Tour winner Nick Watney tested positive Friday for the coronavirus, the first player with a confirmed infection since golf resumed a full schedule last week. Watney...

It also says that Watney arrived at the course after reporting his symptoms. If that's true, what the hell was the Tour doing letting him come to the grounds?

 

Edited June 20, 2020 by DeadMan

[Chris223]

Was only a matter of time.  This is a mess.  There is no way sports can safely return right now.  The NHL *still* thinks they're gonna finish their season and now players are testing positive left and right.  Sure, the PGA Tour may be "safest" as it's much easier to social distance... but, still a mess.

[Yukari]

10 hours 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.

It's because many are not practicing social distancing on the green or the tee box.  Some are standing less than a club length from you.

I feel like I am constantly repeating this.  Many are not practicing social distancing on the tee box and greens.

[iacas]

7 hours ago, Chris223 said:

Was only a matter of time.  This is a mess.  There is no way sports can safely return right now.

Sports has returned. And will continue to do so.

Not many NHL players are 70 years old. Jagr doesn’t play in the NHL anymore.

59 minutes ago, Yukari said:

It's because many are not practicing social distancing on the green or the tee box.  Some are standing less than a club length from you.

I feel like I am constantly repeating this.  Many are not practicing social distancing on the tee box and greens.

And I am going to start repeating this: social distancing is almost completely irrelevant outside.

You can be within six feet of someone for a little while outside.

Let’s go with science instead of fear please?

[jmanbooyaa]

Has anyone heard how within a 48 hour period Watney tested positive? Is the test accurate, did he venture out? Just curious. 

[iacas]

29 minutes ago, jmanbooyaa said:

Has anyone heard how within a 48 hour period Watney tested positive? Is the test accurate, did he venture out? Just curious. 

Not sure what you're asking. He was not positive on Tuesday, but he could have been infected days before.

[jmanbooyaa]

I was asking if any new info came out that’s all. Some test also produced false positives. Was just curious. 
 

I should have asked is any info on his daily activities leading up to the event have come out. That is correct @iacas the before tournament exposure would have led to a positive test result in Friday. 

Edited June 20, 2020 by jmanbooyaa

[iacas]

6 minutes ago, jmanbooyaa said:

I should have asked is any info on his daily activities leading up to the event have come out. 

Ah, and no, I don't think so.

[DeadMan]

This is definitely good:

Again, though, the question is how many people did he come into contact indoors. 

[iacas]

9 minutes ago, DeadMan said:

Again, though, the question is how many people did he come into contact indoors. 

I don't know that I agree that "is the question."

If he was negative on Tuesday, then he almost certainly didn't pass it on to anyone, and even indoors transmission often requires prolonged close contact.

So he got it maybe Sunday. Tested negative (and couldn't really pass it on) on Tuesday. Tested positive on Friday. He may have only been around a handful of people for more than a minute in those few days.

[Beastie]

I saw at least two groups on Friday touch fists on the 18th green. I hope they won’t be doing that from now on.. 

[iacas]

10 minutes ago, Beastie said:

I saw at least two groups on Friday touch fists on the 18th green. I hope they won’t be doing that from now on.. 

Why?

There's virtually no chance, even if one was infected, of transmission from that act.

[Beastie]

5 minutes ago, iacas said:

Why?

There's virtually no chance, even if one was infected, of transmission from that act.

Although there is a low risk of transmission there is still a chance of infection. Player A coughs, breathes on his fist. Bumps fist, shakes hands with Player B. Player B checks his scorecard and touches his face etc etc. Also it’s sometimes about being seen to do the right thing as well, even if it may be above and beyond.

Do you still shake hands with your students when you are teaching?

Personally I feel golf should adopt “jazz hands👐“ unless, of course, you have finished with a bogey

[iacas]

34 minutes ago, Beastie said:

Although there is a low risk of transmission there is still a chance of infection. Player A coughs, breathes on his fist. Bumps fist, shakes hands with Player B. Player B checks his scorecard and touches his face etc etc. Also it’s sometimes about being seen to do the right thing as well, even if it may be above and beyond.

Even if all those things happen, there's still virtually no chance of transmission that way.

We know more now than we did in February.

And sorry, but if there's a 0.000001% chance of catching a disease that is asymptomatic in about 60% of the people in the age range of a PGA Tour player, I think even spending one second worrying about it is perhaps a wasted second.

Far too many other things carry greater risks.

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BTW, on topic, all 11 contact Nick Watney was in close proximity to (< 6 feet) for a prolonged period of time (> 15 minutes) tested negative.

[Beastie]

25 minutes ago, iacas said:

Even if all those things happen, there's still virtually no chance of transmission that way.

We know more now than we did in February.

And sorry, but if there's a 0.000001% chance of catching a disease that is asymptomatic in about 60% of the people in the age range of a PGA Tour player, I think even spending one second worrying about it is perhaps a wasted second.

Far too many other things carry greater risks.

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BTW, on topic, all 11 contact Nick Watney was in close proximity to (< 6 feet) for a prolonged period of time (> 15 minutes) tested negative.

As I am currently furloughed and the garden and the house and the home schooling are up to date, I have many many seconds available to waste on absolutely anything.........

[iacas]

3 minutes ago, Beastie said:

As I am currently furloughed and the garden and the house and the home schooling are up to date, I have many many seconds available to waste on absolutely anything.........

Perhaps share a UK perspective on this stuff.

[Chris223]

8 hours ago, iacas said:

Even if all those things happen, there's still virtually no chance of transmission that way.

We know more now than we did in February.

And sorry, but if there's a 0.000001% chance of catching a disease that is asymptomatic in about 60% of the people in the age range of a PGA Tour player, I think even spending one second worrying about it is perhaps a wasted second.

Far too many other things carry greater risks.

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BTW, on topic, all 11 contact Nick Watney was in close proximity to (< 6 feet) for a prolonged period of time (> 15 minutes) tested negative.

the test they take again in a few days will be more telling.  Testing positive requires enough virus to actually get on the swab.  I don't disagree with most of what you said... but I'm standing by what I said in my original comment, this virus (as a whole) is a mess... and I don't see how contact, team sports can return safely, considering cases are popping up all over those sports, and it only took one week for the PGA tour to get a positive case.  It's not about age or survival percentage for an athlete, it's about curbing the spread.  Newer studies coming out are also saying up to 60% of asymptomatic cases on x-rays show lung damage... that's not good.