Kevin Kisner on Saturday morning inserted himself into the COVID-19 conversation with a callous remark sent in response to a tweet about the death and illness of others.
Former NBA player and current Twitter personality Rex Chapman sent the following tweet detailing his personal connection to the COVID-19 pandemic and his frustration with President Donald Trump.
My friends parents have died from Covid & Covid related issues. My parents are in & out of the hospital. One of my kids tested positive for Covid today.
— Rex Chapman🏇🏼 (@RexChapman) September 12, 2020
Forgive me if I’m upset over 200,000 dead when the President told us 6-months ago we would be down to 0 cases “in a few days.”
Kisner responded in a tweet that his since been deleted:
Kisner later directed this apology to Chapman — who initially did not accept it — and to “anyone else that was hurt by [his] comment.”
But by Saturday night, Chapman was “hopeful” to find “common ground” with Kisner after an apparent conversation between the two.
The PGA Tour issued its own statement Saturday afternoon: “We found Kevin’s comment this morning to be both disappointing and out of character. His remarks do not reflect the nature of our sport or organization, both of which strive to offer compassion and unity. We were pleased to see Kevin take ownership of the situation and have since spoken to him directly.”
Prior to its removal, Kisner’s tweet had also been liked by another PGA Tour pro: Harold Varner III.
There have been nearly 6.5 million reported COVID-19 cases in the United States and over 190,000 deaths.
Earlier this month, Kisner, one of four player directors on the Tour’s policy board, advocated for the return of spectators to PGA Tour events, stating that “the tournaments aren’t the same” and “the revenues aren’t the same.”