Clovis’ Bryson DeChambeau missed Olympics with COVID. What’s his stance on vaccine?
Despite missing the Olympics after contracting COVID-19, PGA Tour headliner Bryson DeChambeau said he does not regret being unvaccinated.
DeChambeau, the golf prodigy from Clovis who eventually developed into one of the top golfers in the world, shared with reporters Wednesday his stance on the COVID-19 vaccine.
“The vaccine doesn’t necessarily prevent it from happening,” DeChambeau said following his pro-am round leading into the World Golf Championships-FedEx St. Jude Invitational. “I’m young enough. I’d rather give (the vaccine) to people who need it. I don’t need it. I’m healthy.
“I’m a young individual who will continue to be healthy and continue to work on my health.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated there is not a shortage of COVID-19 vaccine in the United States. In addition, the CDC has reported that 90% of all positive cases from COVID-19 and 95% of COVID-19 hospitalizations come from unvaccinated people.
Nonetheless, the 27-year-old Dechambeau maintained his decision to not get vaccinated despite confirming that his parents both have received the COVID-19 vaccine.
A New York Times database states that more than half of the U.S. population is not fully vaccinated. That includes children younger than 12, who are not yet eligible.
“I don’t think taking the vaccine away from someone who needs it is a good thing,” DeChambeau said. “My dad is a perfect example. He got it early on because he’s a diabetic. People like that need to get it. My mom got it. I don’t want to take away that ability.
“Now as time goes on, if is mainstream, really, really mainstream, then yeah.”
DeChambeau, who ranks No. 7 in the world, tested positive twice for the coronavirus days before he was set to fly to Japan.
Olympic protocols required participants to take three COVID-19 tests on consecutive days, 24 hours apart, and return negative results before being allowed to fly to Tokyo for the tournament.
“It was bound to happen,” DeChambeau said. “Unfortunately, it happened that week. The odds are you get tested enough, you travel around, it’s going to happen.
“I tried to take all the necessary precautions to not contract it. Unfortunately, I tested positive.”
DeChambeau said he didn’t feel any symptoms until a couple of days after testing positive. He said he felt fatigued and slept “all the time.”
He said he lost 8 to 10 pounds and has struggled with allergies since testing positive.
“It was weird,” DeChambeau said. “I didn’t feel anything at all and then, all of a sudden, symptoms started coming on. I don’t know where I got it, how I got it. ...
“After I tested positive, my brain just shifted to a place where I just wasn’t in the Olympics. I loved (the Olympics). I hope I can be there in three years.”
This story was originally published August 4, 2021 at 5:49 PM.