New PGA Tour Reg Allows Some with Positive Tests to Return

The good thing about the PGA Tour testing program for the COVID virus is that every player is tested often. The bad thing is that some players are testing positive with no symptoms.

In addition, some players are testing positive after having COVID19 even though they no longer have symptoms and even though they stayed home for the required amount of time. So the PGA Tour, in conjunction with their medical advisors, adjusted.

In the future, any player or caddie who tests positive for COVID19 and has symptoms will first undergo a 10-day self-isolation period. Makes total sense.

Any player or caddie who tests positive but has no symptoms can return to play after receiving two negative tests conducted 24 hours apart. Also makes sense. Sometimes the tests are messed up.

Players and caddies who tested positive and had symptoms can return 10-days after the symptoms first appeared and three days after they have no symptoms. Players must not have cough, shortness of breath, or fever. Any fever cannot be reduced with medication such as aspirin, Tylenol or Advil or similar medications.

Unfortunately, in a new wrinkle, both the CDC’s and the PGA Tour’s tests can apparently show a positive result for what is called viral RNA even when all symptoms are gone. That could result in what they call a persistent positive result in the face of no symptoms of the virus.

According to the CDC, some people can continue to test positive for as long as six weeks after having COVID 19, even though they are no longer ill.

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Fortunately, the PGA Tour has come up with a plan to allow players in that category, those with persistent positive tests, but otherwise meeting CDC guidelines for “Return to Work,” to continue to play golf. It goes into effect at the Workday Charity Open.

This week, for instance, Dylan Frittelli, Denny McCarthy and Nick Watney fall into the positive tester category. They have no symptoms but continue to test positive. The PGA Tour is grouping them together for the first two rounds. After the cut is made, if two of them qualify for the weekend play, they will play together. If one makes the cut, he will participate as a single. If all three make the cut, they would play as a twosome and a single for the weekend.

In addition, Frittelli, McCarthy and Watney, or any player in this situation, will not be allowed to utilize any indoor facilities on site. One presumes this includes the fitness trailer but excludes the range and other practice areas.

Perhaps the rest of us can take a page from this example in return to work programs. All those who have tested positive, but have recovered and still continue to test positive after 10 days do X, and all those who have never tested positive for COVID19 do Y. It’s not going to be a solution for every situation, but in places where it is, maybe it allows more people to get back to work, more businesses to open and more people to return to some kind of normal life.

This work-around—grouping players with positive tests but no symptoms– allows some leeway for golfers to return to the Tour. Maybe it will inspire some of the rest of us to figure out new plans for beginning a return to semi-normalcy. Of course, that will require everybody in an organization to be tested, which may not be easy. It’s certainly something to think about at least.

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CDC guidelines can be found here and here, although the CDC could use a translation for this into normal English.

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