BREAKING: PGA TOUR Allowing COVID Positive Players To Compete

Ever since the game has returned to action, the PGA TOUR has been extremely careful about exposing their players and caddies to COVID-19. With that in mind, many are questioning why some players are still on the course even though they tested positive.

This week at the US PGA Workday Charity Open, the PGA TOUR is operating under clarifying rules which are allowing the following players to play in the event, despite testing positive for COVID-19: Dylan Frittelli, Denny McCarthy, and Nick Watney. As extra protection this week, all three players are playing in the same grouping.

According to the PGA medical advisor, Dr. Tom Hospel, the PGA TOUR is following CDC “Return to Work” guidelines. That being said, players and caddies are able to return to action even if they continually test positive for the virus, only if 10 days have passed since they first became symptomatic, and 72 hours have passed since they last had a fever. Other factors such as less coughing and greater respiratory improvement are to be considered in the guidelines. 

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The reasoning for this revision to the PGA TOUR policy is because players, after certain time and symptoms, are not contagious.”In the beginning stages of the illness, that virus is assumed to be active virus that can cause infection, can be contagious,” Hospel said. “As time passes and as symptoms resolve (the) theory is that this virus, this particle that has being detected… is no longer active or contagious. What we’ve learned along the way is that in some instances, individuals can continue to test positive for weeks if not months beyond when their illness started, and the thought is that those individuals are no longer contagious.”

These revisions are not the only changes under the PGA TOUR’s COVID-19 policy. Previously, there was a 10-day isolation period for any player or caddie that tested positive for COVID-19. Now, the only requirement is that infected players show no symptoms and test negative in two tests, 24 hours apart.

These revisions have certainly made it much easier for players and caddies to get back on the course and that’s definitely a good sign. Hopefully, the medical experts are right and these revisions won’t cause a large spread of the virus across the world of golf.

Cover Image Via Twitter