Golf great Jack Nicklaus has revealed he and his wife Barbara tested positive for Covid-19.
Speaking during the broadcast of the final round of the Memorial tournament in Ohio, the six-time Masters winner told CBS Sports he and his wife tested positive for coronavirus antibodies after self-isolating at home from March 13 to April 20.
“Barbara was asymptomatic, and I had a sore throat and a cough,” the 80-year-old said during the telecast.
Jack Nicklaus discusses he and his wife Barbara testing positive for COVID-19 in March and their full recovery. pic.twitter.com/XuyDIGOAvb
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 19, 2020
“It didn’t last very long, and we were very, very fortunate, very lucky. Barbara and I are both of the age that is an at-risk age.
“Our hearts go out to the people who did lose their lives and their families. We were just a couple of the lucky ones, so we feel very strong about working with those who are taking care of those who have Covid-19.”
At a press conference earlier in the week, Nicklaus said he would continue the tradition of shaking the hand of the winner of the tournament.
He said: “If they don’t want to shake my hand, that’s fine, I’ll give them a fist bump or an elbow bump, but I’m not going to give them Covid-19, so that’s... I wouldn’t put anybody in that position.”
Nicklaus ultimately greeted winner Jon Rahm with a fist bump.
