Ulrich, I take pretty strong offense at that, which I consider obnoxious (apart from obviously having nothing to do with golf or GCA). Why don't you let us worry about the adequacy of our health care system, which remains to be seen, and our elected leaders and you worry about yours. Sadly, yours will be tested soon enough, in all likelihood, just as ours will be. I hope we will all be satisfied in the end.
Bernie Bell,
I'm not sure I understand what offended you about Ulrich's post, unless it was the comment that the president isn't interested. Putting that comment aside, and letting everyone decide that question for themselves, Ulrich said that he prayed for the U.S. healthcare system. As to whether or not our system is, in fact, overmatched, there is a fair amount of evidence of the truth of that. In NC, for instance, my understanding is that there are currently a TOTAL of 150 test kits for the entire state.
And I don't think Ulrich blamed anybody for the US system being overmatched; I'll assume until he says otherwise that he is anticipating the same issues with a disease that spreads like this one does as other countries, like Italy, have experienced. Angela Merkel said yesterday that she expects 60% of the German population to contract the virus; the German healthcare system will be overmatched if that happens because systems just aren't built for those numbers, here or anywhere else. I'm glad that the powers that be in this country are attempting to reduce human interaction and contact to slow the spread, rather than facing the severe lack of beds that could occur; I hope it works. That's not a value judgement on the president or anybody else; it's just a harsh reality that the US, along with the rest of the world, faces in a pandemic.
I agree with Ulrich about the Masters; I don't think it will be played this year. I think what happened last night in the NBA was a wake up call about the dynamic of this illness, and the players are going to think about their families and decide that they aren't going to fly or stay in hotels. I'll even be surprised if the Players finishes; I was surprised that they started with fans, but the absence of fans only lessens the problem; it decidedly does NOT solve it.
The obvious fact about the Masters is that ANGC is maybe the one place that doesn't need or depend on the money that the tournament generates. They'll be fine with a one year delay; they won't be fine with the public relations disaster that could come out of holding the tournament, with or without patrons, and having additional outbreaks traced back to them.