Pro Golf – PGA TOUR
26-year-old World No 3 Jon Rahm of Spain was tragically forced to withdraw from the final round of The Memorial after shooting an amazing 64 which gave him a six-shot lead over the field with 18 holes to play.
Surreal TV moment as six-stroke leader Jon Rahm learns he tested positive for COVID and Jim Nantz tries to make sense of it without knowing what Rahm’s been told pic.twitter.com/WvD6LmAlxs
— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) June 5, 2021
Jon Rahm’s Tweet –
Thoughts after today’s round pic.twitter.com/gWkBAWE42F
— Jon Rahm Rodriguez (@JonRahmpga) June 6, 2021
The Spaniard had to get up early on Saturday to finish his second round, and later posted six birdies on the back nine for a six-shot lead, which made him a virtual certainty to record a sixth PGA Tour title and becoming only the repeat winner of The Memorial after Tiger Woods. The winner’s purse was USD 1.64 million and valuable world ranking points.
PGA TOUR release –
PGA TOUR Statement on Jon Rahm pic.twitter.com/HvMmWLCHeq
— PGA TOUR Communications (@PGATOURComms) June 5, 2021
In a PGA Tour release, it was explained that Rahm had been informed on Monday he was subject to contact-tracing protocols after coming in close contact with a COVID+ person. Rahm tested negative every day since and was completely asymptomatic.
Rahm’s report came back positive on Saturday 4.30pm, Rahm wasn’t pulled off the course as the medical advisor requested a second run of his sample which confirmed the positive report just as Rahm walked off the 18th green at Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio.
What next?
World No.3 Jon Rahm is now required to undergo a 10-day self isolation. That ends on June 15th, the Tuesday of the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines, where Rahm captured his first PGA Tour title – 2017 Farmers Insurance Open, four years ago.