Tokyo 2021 Olympics: Favorite Jon Rahm retires after testing positive for COVID-19



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For the second time in his last five events, Jon Rahm must step down due to a positive COVID-19 test. Rahm tested positive this week for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and will not compete in his first Olympics for Spain.

Rahm tested positive at the Memorial Tournament in June, where he held a six-stroke lead after the third inning and had to retire before the event ended. He won his next event at the US Open and recently finished T3 at the Open Championship. He is the No. 1 player in the world.

Rahm has lost to eight golfers in his last four events and was the favorite to win the men’s golf competition at Kasumigaseki Country Club just outside Tokyo.

When questioned in June, Rahm said he was vaccinated but not outside the two-week window after vaccination when he tested positive at the Memorial. He was being tested constantly that week due to the contact tracing protocol.

“Well the truth is I was vaccinated,” Rahm told the US Open. “I just wasn’t out of that 14-day period. I had started the process, and unfortunately that’s how the timing ended up being. Yes, I was vaccinated. That’s right. that I was still in those 14 days when I started the COVID protocol tracing, and I had to stay there. “

Rahm is not the only top player to have been tested outside of these Olympics. Bryson DeChambeau also tested positive this week and will not be competing in Tokyo. DeChambeau was replaced by Patrick Reed, but according to the Spanish Olympic Committee, there is not enough time to replace Rahm. Adri Arnaus is the other member of the Spanish team, and now the field in Tokyo will be 59.

Open Championship winner Collin Morikawa is now the favorite to win the Olympics, followed by Xander Sc Chaudele and Justin Thomas. Rory McIlroy, Hideki Matsuyama and Viktor Hovland are just beyond these top three on the odds table.



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