Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Wat a sorry State of affairs
IT feels as if the PGA Tour is engaged in a race against time.
A frantic scramble to stay several paces ahead of a global pandemic.
Nick Watney testing positive for COVID-19 at Hilton Head was a worrying reminder of how close the tour is to another period of lockdown.
Because no matter the measures golf takes to keep coronavirus at bay, the increasing reality is we are at the mercy of human behaviour and nature.
I do fear the PGA Tour will struggle to continue operating in a bubble given the dramatic rise in the number of cases in the States.
After several weeks of declining numbers, US cases are on the rise again with 12 states reporting record increases last week.
It’s tough for players to stay virus free when their movements away from the course bring them into contact with a public divided on how to tackle lockdown.
I spoke to a coach last week from Hilton Head and his biggest concern is the behaviour of those people outside the tightly-controlled tournament environment.
His player has a shield of support around him, he is insulated from risk and his day is socially distanced from the moment he goes to the course and returns to base.
But the problem is the American public in everyday life and how divisive the whole issue of social distancing and wearing of masks has become over there.
A large section of Donald
Trump’s, inset, supporters in particular seem to believe they are immune from infection and are behaving recklessly as a result.
I said the same about protests a few weeks back.
Justin Thomas complained last week that the crowds on Hilton Head Island itself resembled an “absolute zoo” with very few adhering to social distancing.
“The beaches are absolutely packed and every restaurant, from what I’ve seen, is absolutely crowded,” he warned.
Punters aside, players and caddies are also human and eventually they will struggle with being hermetically sealed from the ebb and flow of everyday life.
It’s human nature to ease off the lockdown brakes and one wonders how even the slightest tweak in behavioural patterns by players will impact upon the tour.
How many will it take to test positive for an event to be cancelled? That answer might come sooner than any of us expect.
People keep asking about next year’s Ryder Cup and other Major events on the horizon, but who’s to say 2021 will be any different?
Like the Hollywood movie title, maybe this is as good as it gets.
The long-term risk is Joe Public and external factors beyond the control of the PGA or European Tours will bring the whole house of cards tumbling down.
Human nature – and our own actions and habits – may decide if golf stays on our screens in the weeks and months ahead.