DeChambeau Out Of Olympics Due To COVID Positive, Reed Steps In
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USA Golf announced the unfortunate news of Bryson DeChambeau testing COVID-19 positive. He is out of the Tokyo games and will be replaced by Patrick Reed.
This is one of those press releases that should have ended after the third graph…
Bryson DeChambeau tested positive for COVID-19, as part of the final testing protocol before he left the United States for the Olympics 2020 in Japan. He will be unable to compete for Team USA.
Patrick Reed will replace DeChambeau and is undergoing the requisite testing protocol today, Sunday and Monday before departing for Japan. The first round of competition is Thursday, July 29 (local time). Reed is now the only two-time Olympian for the men’s competition, as he played for Team USA in 2016 and will now compete in the 2020 Olympics.
Representing Team USA Golf now includes Patrick Reed plus Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa and Xander Schauffele in the men’s competition, and Nelly Korda, Danielle Kang, Lexi Thompson and Jessica Korda in the women’s competition.
“I am so excited to have the opportunity to represent our country and be a part of Team USA in Tokyo,” said Reed. “I wish Bryson nothing but the best, and I know how disappointed he is to not be able to compete, and I will do my best to play my best and represent our country.”
“I am deeply disappointed not to be able to compete in the Olympics for Team USA,” said DeChambeau. “Representing my country means the world to me and it is was a tremendous honor to make this team. I wish Team USA the best of luck next week in Tokyo. I will now focus on getting healthy, and I look forward to returning to competition once I am cleared to do so.”
No mention of having been vaccinated and yet, testing positive.
Barring a false positive we’ll put him down for still researching the vaccine.
“We’re obviously disappointed for Bryson, as we know how much he was looking forward to representing the United States in his first Olympics,” said Andy Levinson, USA Golf Executive Director. “But we’re thrilled that Patrick Reed is excited to play for his country when he is called upon,
He’s not be asked to storm the beaches of Normandy, but go on…
even with the strenuous testing protocols and he is set to arrive just in time to compete – on a golf course he will have never seen prior to the start of competition. It really illustrates the importance of the Olympics and the value Patrick places on playing for Team USA and for his country. We’re excited to welcome him to Tokyo soon and know he’ll be a formidable competitor for Team USA.”
We really didn’t need the hard sell.
Then again, as Bob Harig noted for ESPN.com, Reed was third alternate after Patrick Cantlay and Brooks Koepka. They presumably declined.
