Sports world reacts as Brooks Koekpa withdraws, PGA Tour suffers rash of positive COVID-19 tests

Jesse Reed

Updated: June 24, 2020

Brooks Koepka PGA Tour COVID-19 — Jun 21, 2020; Hilton Head, South Carolina, USA; Ian Poulter talks with Brooks Koepka during a weather delay in the final round of the RBC Heritage golf tournament at Harbour Town Golf Links. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

On Wednesday, news broke that Brooks Koepka was withdrawing from the Travelers Championship after his caddie tested positive for COVID-19. It marked the third player to withdraw from the tournament due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Brooks Koepka will be the third player to withdraw from the Travelers Championship following a positive COVID-19 diagnosis from his caddie https://t.co/mBFKLK673F
— SI Golf (@SI_Golf) June 24, 2020

Then just a couple hours later, Brian Wacker of Golf Digest shared that “there are multiple positive tests for COVID-19 on the PGA Tour, in addition to the one reported earlier this morning.”

Breaking: Sources have confirmed there are multiple positive tests for COVID-19 on the PGA Tour, in addition to the one reported earlier this morning.
— Brian Wacker (@brianwacker1) June 24, 2020

This development is leading to a press conference later on Wednesday with the PGA Tour commissioner, Jay Monahan. The good news is that, per Wacker, the tournament won’t be canceled.

PGA Tour commish to speak to media in an hour but sources say that this week's Travelers will not be canceled.
— Brian Wacker (@brianwacker1) June 24, 2020

That being the case, the latest news of COVID-19 spreading within the PGA Tour was alarming to many reacting on Twitter. In particular, many wondered whether other sports that are harder to enforce distancing could even be pulled off at this time.

https://twitter.com/Rosenberg_Mike/status/1275840835259596808

I think Jay Monahan and the @PGATOUR have done an incredible job and have a great protocol and restrictions in place. When you see 23 players from one football team infected, it only makes sense we will see some cases on tour.
I think he will announce stricter guidelines today.
— Ron Mintz (@MintzGolf) June 24, 2020

https://twitter.com/DiveBarExpert/status/1275841412311977985

Golf is a good case study to watch for MLB.

There's more "distancing" in golf, sure, but the biggest COVID risk isn't during the sport itself. It's in travel and downtime activity. Without a bubble, both sports have the same key challenge of whether players can police themselves https://t.co/O6zdIs9McR
— Ben DuBose (@BenDuBose) June 24, 2020

https://twitter.com/PandaSalesman/status/1275836296884219904

If you can’t play golf without spreading Covid then you certainly can’t play team sports.
— Deezy (@deezy_wil) June 24, 2020

If a non-contact sport like golf can’t avoid Covid-19 how can you possibky expect football to happen?
— Tyler Gibson (@TCGibson13) June 24, 2020

By Jesse Reed

Former Managing Editor at Sportsnaut. Featured on Yardbarker and MSN.com, and was a breaking news writer/NFL analyst for Bleacher ... More about Jesse Reed

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Sports world reacts as Brooks Koekpa withdraws, PGA Tour suffers rash of positive COVID-19 tests

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