An unusual situation was experienced this Saturday at the PGA Memorial when the Spanish Jon Rahm, who led the tournament by six strokes, had to leave the contest after the authorities informed him on the green that his Covid-19 test had been positive.
Rahm had been running a brilliant contest and was on his way to the title, but at the end of his third round, the PGA Tour medical officer came up to him wearing his chinstrap and told him the bad news.
The Spaniard felt the shock of the news, he bent down and covered his face: he could not believe it.
Rahm, who was leading at the end of the third round with hits (-8) and a cumulative of 198 (-18), will remain isolated until June 15.
By then he will be subjected to a test that, if negative, will allow him to play the US Open starting Thursday, June 17.
The organizers of the Memorial in Dublin were yet to decide whether to retest the rest of the players who participated in the third round.
The Americans Collin Morikawa and Patrick Cantlay finished in second place with respective records of 66 (-6) and 68 (-4) for a cumulative of 204 strokes (-12).
Rahm was seeking his first PGA Tour title of the season in Dublin.
Without Rahm in competition, Morikawa and Cantlay jumped to the top of the rankings and became the first candidates for the title this Sunday.
The Mexican Carlos Ortiz complied by getting a record of 72 (par) that allowed him to stay in seventh place with a cumulative of 211 strokes (-5). The seat is shared with three other players.
Ortiz, who produced two birdies and two bogeys, posted his worst record since the tournament began after handing out signed scorecards of 71 (-1) and 68 (-4) in the first and second rounds, respectively.
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