Jack Nicklaus and His Wife Tested Positive for Covid-19 in March; Both Recovered
Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
On Sunday, golf legend Jack Nicklaus told CBS Sports’ Jim Nantz that he and his wife Barbara Nicklaus had tested positive for Covid-19 back in March.
Nicklaus and his wife, both 80 years old, remained at their home in North Palm Beach, Florida after the diagnosis. Multiple studies have shown that the coronavirus is riskier for older people, but fortunately neither Nicklaus had severe symptoms. Nicklaus reported that he had experienced a sore throat and cough, and his wife was asymptomatic.
“It didn’t last very long, and we were very, very fortunate, very lucky,” said Nicklaus. “Barbara and I are both of the age that is an at-risk age.”
Their initial positive tests were on March 13, and they both had several positive tests as they recovered. They have since tested negative for the virus and positive for antibodies.
Nicklaus recognized how fortunate he and his wife were. “Our hearts go out to the people who did lose their lives and their families,” he said. “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,” Nicklaus said.
Nicklaus was in Dublin, Ohio this week to host the Memorial Tournament, at the Muirfield Village Golf Club, where he designed the course.
The golf tournament has a decades-long tradition of Nicklaus shaking hands with the winner — but that’s discouraged in this age of social distancing.
Before the tournament’s end, Nicklaus had said that he was willing to still shake hands if the winner wanted to do so:
I’m going to shake their hand. I going to walk right out there and shake your hand. 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. I wouldn’t put anybody in that position. I wouldn’t do that, and if I was in any danger of doing that, I wouldn’t shake their hands.
Spanish golfer Jon Rahm ultimately won the tournament — and opted for a fist bump with The Golden Bear.
DUBLIN, OHIO – JULY 19: Jack Nicklaus congratulates Jon Rahm of Spain on the 18th green after Rahm won during the final round of The Memorial Tournament on July 19, 2020 at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
