The PGA Tour is reporting that 70 percent of its players have been vaccinated and while that sounds good, it’s low considering the vaccine is virtually available to everyone, in seemingly so many locations.
Wal-Mart is eager for walk-ins, most everywhere, no lines, no waiting.
The NFL is cracking down and some team, including the Super Bowl Champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers are approaching the 90 percent rate for players, 100 percent for coaches and other employees in the Tampa headquarters.
Bryson DeChambeau, who lost out on the Olympics after he contracted COVID, says he won’t be getting the vaccination.
“The thing is, the vaccine doesn’t necessarily prevent it from happening,” the 2020 US Open champion said this week as he arrived in Memphis for the WGC-FedEx/St. Jude event. “That’s where for me, I’m young enough, I’d rather give it to people that need it. I don’t need it. I’m healthy. I’m a young individual that will continue to be healthy and continue to work on my health. But I don’t think that taking a vaccine away from someone that could need it is a good thing.”
Note to Bryson, there’s plenty to go around.
As for the Tour, it is reporting that 85% of its “constituents’ are fully vaccinated. That includes a rate above 70% for players and above 90% for caddies. Others who were included in that “constituents” description are rules officials, tournament administrators and media relations personnel.
“Given the increase in cases across the country, resumption of some level of serial testing is a possibility,” said Andy Levinson, senior vice president, tournament administration for the PGA Tour. “However, at this time with our high vaccination rates across core constituents, our medical advisors have not recommended testing of asymptomatic individuals regardless of vaccination status.”
After losing 10 pounds and getting past fatigue and coughing spurts, DeChambeau didn’t show any ill effects as he opened with 65 Thursday at TPC Southwind in Memphis.
The PGA Tour has ended its testing protocols as of the 3M Open last month On-site testing is still available at tournaments if players have symptoms, and the PGA Tour says it may still conduct periodic testing.
Callum Hill Shoots 63, Leads At Hero Open In Scotland:
There’s yet another course down the road from St. Andrews — it’s called the Fairmont at St. Andrews and it’s the site of this week’s Hero Open on the European Tour.
Callum Hill, a son of Scotland who grew up about 25 miles away, fired a nine-under par 63 to take the first round lead on Thursday. Hill took advantage of early calm conditions to set a course record at Fairmont St Andrews. The 26-year-old is part of a 17 strong Scottish contingent and Hill led the way with a career best round of 63 courtesy of nine birdies and nine pars.
Hill, who has recorded four top 10 finishes in the 2021 Race to Dubai, is aiming to be the first home winner in Scotland on the European Tour since Paul Lawrie won the 2012 Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles. “I putted well. I didn’t put it in places that caused me too much bother – I did make my fair share of putts,” Hill said. “One really good 15 footer on number one to save par and a lot of mid range putts for birdies. We got the best part of (the weather) 100 per cent. Our front nine was relatively calm, probably half a club wind, then back nine picked up. We got three quarters of our day in quite pleasant conditions, I think it’s just getting worse from here – we took advantage.”
Later in the day the winds picked up in the afternoon and made scoring difficult for the late starters, but American Berry Henson defied the odds to post a bogey free 67 – four shots behind Hill.
Northern Ireland’s Jonathan Caldwell finished one shot back of Hill while England’s Ross Fisher, Frenchman Robin Sciot-Siegrist and Chase Hanna of the United States were two back at seven under.
“I putted well. I didn’t put it in places that caused me too much bother – I did make my fair share of putts,” Hill said. “One really good 15 footer on number one to save par and a lot of mid range putts for birdies.
“We got the best part of (the weather) 100 per cent. Our front nine was relatively calm, probably half a club wind, then back nine picked up. We got three quarters of our day in quite pleasant conditions, I think it’s just getting worse from here – we took advantage.
3 Comments
baxter cepeda
Bryson’s view is just another example of the unbelievably frustrating situation we are in in America. We have plenty, even thou the world doesn’t, yet for this reason or that too many people still refuse to take this thing.
Even as mandates become the new in Vogue word; so is the word exemptions.
Exemptions for religion, health, trying to have kids even thou getting sick prevents pregnancy more.
Bryson does have a point if we can look past America. We need to get people around the world who really need it to get vaccinated; then maybe we can get the schmucks with Bryson’s argument to finally get it. But my guess is they will have yet another frustrating explanation why they can’t just walk into a cvs to help their communities already.
Tom Edrington
What’s sad is that there are parents out there who will not have their children vaccinated for anything — that’s why we’re seeing Whooping Cough making a return and this one is hard to believe because it was virtually wiped out 60 years ago or more — polio…..it’s making a return as well…….here in the US the vaccine is available at so many places and all you do is walk-in and it’s FREE!…..
baxter cepeda
Yea everyone thinks they are so smart because they can read conspiracy theories … on social media.
It is extremely sad.
And the worst part is I know more people with this foolish thinking then you can whom to believe.
With so many people living off social media misinformation it’s amazing the number of people that are vaccinated.