ESPN.com Deep Dive: "How the PGA Tour is trying to help its players avoid COVID-19 and the common injury"

ESPN.com’s Stephanie Ball takes a pretty extensive look at the PGA Tour’s successful start and highlights everything that’s gone into the COVID-19 testing protocols.

While there have been hiccups, questions about the legitimacy of the traveling “bubble” and recent signs that transparency is diminishing, the program has been a remarkable success in restarting golf and along with NASCAR, setting a solid example the world of major sports. (No players tested positive this week, a minor miracle given the country around them.)

Especially as other major leagues have restarted in bumpy fashion and now face questions about whether they are gaining unfair lab testing priority. (That issue was solved by the PGA Tour having an on-site, mobile test lab.)

It’s not clear if ESPN.com’s Ball saw some of the elements in person, but the story does indicate a foregone conclusion element to at-home testing before events (we know one player did not partake and traveled a good ways just to test positive and spend 10 days in quarantine).

Anyway, one component of the story still sets off alarm bells given what we know about the virus and people exercising indoors: the Tour’s fitness van. That’s where players are now asked to workout instead of hotel or home gyms, seems like a spreader event waiting to happen.

"We decided to limit it to no more than five players in the trailer at any one time, so eight people total (including PTs and chiropractor)," said Stodelle. "Normally pre-round could have 10-12 guys. Guys might occasionally have to wait a bit, so they just need to allow a little more time.'

"There's a bench outside (waiting area), there are masks, hand sanitizer, wipes available. When a player comes to the truck, we scan their temperature, just to make sure they're under 100.4. Assuming everything else is good, then he can proceed into the trailer."

Players are to arrive dressed in workout attire as they are no longer allowed to change inside the trailer. All medical personnel are wearing masks and scrubs while working inside the trailer. The staff has marked-out quadrants using athletic tape as boundary markers so that the athletes can independently stretch or exercise while maintaining proper physical distancing.

Since the players apparently can’t wear masks inside, maybe we can think about moving those outdoors in future weeks? Maybe some yoga mats and a little tent covering? Just a thought!