Arjun Atwal okay with Covid positive players on PGA Tour
CHENNAI: Of all the places where sports have resumed after a break, the PGA Tour is an exception. The professional golf circuit in the US is the only place where persons with positive Covid-19 tests are allowed to compete. The Workday Charity Open, which got over on Sunday, had three such players, who had to fulfil a list of conditions to be able to play despite carrying the virus. Arjun Atwal, who played an event on the PGA Tour last week, is okay with this, saying on a personal note that he wouldn’t have ventured out had he tested positive. The lone Indian to have won a title in the world’s biggest golf circuit is the country’s only representative on the PGA Tour at the moment, in the absence of Anirban Lahiri, who is stuck in India.
“I wouldn’t have stepped out of my house if I was positive, because of the scrutiny I would have been under. I wouldn’t have liked a situation where everybody is looking at me and thinking that I am going to give it to the people around me. Having said that, I’m fine with this decision taken by the PGA,” Atwal told this daily from his base in Windermere in Florida.
“I’m sure the PGA has done its research on how to go about with these players (South Africa’s Dylan Frittelli and Americans Denny McCarthy, Nick Watney). It has done everything to create a protective environment and keep the players in a bubble. Plus, players have a right to participate in these events and earn money. If the PGA allows, what’s wrong with it?” said the winner of the 2010 Wyndham Championship.
Not a regular card holder on the PGA Tour who gets invitations from a certain number of events for being a former winner, Atwal ended a long absence from the course last week. He finished tied 45th at the Rocket Mortgage Classic. Other than using a mask (when not playing), he didn’t feel much of a difference barring the absence of spectators.
“Getting into the club wearing a mask felt a bit odd. Playing without crowds was also a difference. But once you started playing and started feeling the nerves and pressures of playing a tournament, it was pretty much the normal feeling. Those things don’t change. That apart, it took some time to shake off the rust. By and large, it was a confidence builder after a long break. Luckily, the club near my house was open, so I was in touch,” said the 47-year-old, who hopes to play at least two more events this year.
The situation in Florida is alarming, with nearly 2.5 lakh cases and over 4,000 deaths. Atwal has managed to stay safe with his wife Sona and sons Kishan (16) and Shiva (12). “After 26 years as a pro, this is the longest break I’ve had. My sons had never seen dad home for so long. In that sense, it has been a welcome break.”