DUBLIN, Ohio – Jack Nicklaus revealed Sunday during the CBS broadcast of the Memorial that he and his wife tested positive for the coronavirus at the start of the pandemic.
Nicklaus and his wife, Barbara, were 80 months apart at the beginning of the year.
He said that his wife had no COVID-19 symptoms, while Nicklaus had a sore throat and cough. Nicklaus said they were home in North Palm Beach, Florida, from March 13 “until we’re done,” about April 20.
“It didn’t last long, and we were very, very lucky, very lucky,” said Nicklaus. “Barbara and I are the same age, we are both 80 years old, that is an age of risk. Our hearts go out to the people who lost their lives and their families. We were only a couple of the lucky ones.”
The Memorial has no spectators, and sightings of Nicklaus have been rare this week due to protocols on the PGA Tour’s return to golf amid the pandemic.
Nicklaus shared the news as the Memorial was emerging from a weather delay in the final round. The few times they have seen him, he wore a mask and kept his distance.
Five-time Memorial winner Tiger Woods said he had known for some time that Nicklaus had tested positive.
“The fact that they got over it and that they are safe and here and healthy is good news for all of us who are part of golf and admire Jack and [have] I’ve been around Barbara all these years, “Woods said.
Nicklaus had a remote press conference Tuesday and said he would shake hands with whoever wins the Memorial, a tradition in the tournament he created.
“If you don’t want to shake my hand, that’s fine, I’ll give you a punch or a blow to the elbow, but I’m not going to give you COVID-19, so that … would not put anyone in that position,” he said. on Tuesday.
He said again on CBS that he will shake hands if the winner wants it, but it would be fine if the winner doesn’t want it.
“We have the antibodies and, in theory, we cannot get or give them,” he said. “That’s a good position to be in.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in a June 30 update, said they don’t know if people recovering from COVID-19 can become infected again. He also said that even with a positive antibody test, “you still need to take preventative measures to protect yourself and others.”
.
