Bryson DeChambeau is back on the course, playing in the World Golf Championship event that begins Thursday in Memphis, Tenn. He was forced to sit out last weekend's Olympic tournament because of a positive COVID-19 test result.
The time away from competition didn't change DeChambeau's stance on being vaccinated. He's still not getting the shot.
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"The thing is, the vaccine doesn’t necessarily prevent it from happening," DeChambeau told Golf Channel on Wednesday. "That’s where for me, I’m young enough, I’d rather give it to people that need it. I don’t need it. I’m healthy. I’m a young individual that will continue to be healthy and continue to work on my health. But I don’t think that taking a vaccine away from someone that could need it is a good thing."
DeChambeau, 27, told Golf Channel that both his parents are vaccinated and his father is a diabetic.
He said he didn't have "an issue" with being vaccinated, but he wants to wait until it becomes "really, really mainstream" and "everything is vetted out."
DeChambeau told Golf Channel that he began experiencing symptoms a few days after the positive test result and wound up losing about 10 pounds. He said he didn't know where or how he contracted the virus.
Patrick Reed took DeChambeau's place on Team USA's roster.
Spain's Jon Rahm also had to withdraw from the Olympics because of a positive test result. This was his second positive test result in just over a month. He tested positive at the Memorial Tournament in June and was forced to withdraw after his third round. He was informed of the test result on the course moments after he completed the round. He had a six-stroke lead at the time.
Per The Associated Press, Rahm began the vaccination process the week of the Memorial. He went into quarantine after the test result and then returned to win the U.S. Open. He dedicated the victory to the late Jose Manuel Cortizas, a Spanish sports journalist who covered Rahm and followed his career. Cortizas died of COVID-19 complications last February.
