Jon Rahm has been cruising at the Memorial Tournament, and shot an outstanding 64 on Saturday to take a six-stroke lead at 18-under. But shortly after the round, he learned that he had to withdraw from the tournament (which has a $1.674 million first-place prize) due to testing positive for COVID-19.
The CBS cameras captured the moment of tournament officials informing Rahm of the news. Jim Nantz and the CBS crew had no idea what was going on, until reporter Dottie Pepper relayed the news of the positive COVID test. Here’s how the surreal, emotional scene looked on the CBS broadcast:
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…with a 6 shot lead at Memorial…finds out AFTER HIS ROUND that he’s tested positive for COVID-19.
That means he has to withdraw. As the leader by 6…
Just unbelievable. pic.twitter.com/AqtqNA75kH
— TJ Eckert (@TJEckertKTUL) June 5, 2021
The PGA released a statement, saying that Rahm was notified on May 31 of contact-tracing protocols, after he was in close contact with somebody that tested positive for COVID-19. He had tested negative daily, but his most recent test on Friday returned positive on Saturday. He’s asymptomatic.
PGA TOUR Statement on Jon Rahm pic.twitter.com/HvMmWLCHeq
— PGA TOUR Communications (@PGATOURComms) June 5, 2021
Jason Sobel of Sirius PGA Tour Radio reports that Rahm “just this week received his first vaccination shot on-site at Muirfield Village, but only after he’d come in close contact with a person who had tested positive, which is why he was initially entered into the COVID protocol.”
From what I'm now hearing, Jon Rahm just this week received his first vaccination shot on-site at Muirfield Village, but only after he'd come in close contact with a person who had tested positive, which is why he was initially entered into the COVID protocol.
— Jason Sobel (@JasonSobelGolf) June 5, 2021
With Rahm now out of the tournament, Patrick Cantlay and Collin Morikawa are the new co-leaders at 12-under entering Sunday.
Update: Rahm has issued a statement.
Thoughts after today’s round pic.twitter.com/gWkBAWE42F
— Jon Rahm Rodriguez (@JonRahmOfficial) June 6, 2021
About Matt Clapp
Matt is an editor/writer at The Comeback and Awful Announcing.
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