Optimistic COVID-19 assessments knocked Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau out of the Olympic golf match Sunday, in a pair of surprises that strengthened the tenuous nature of holding an enormous sports activities occasion throughout a world pandemic.
Phrase of Rahm’s constructive take a look at got here from the Spanish Olympic committee about 4 hours after USA Golf delivered the identical information about DeChambeau.
They’re among the many best-known of the some 11,000 athletes descending on Japan for the 17-day sports activities competition at which damaging COVID assessments — however not vaccinations — are required to take part.
Spain’s Olympic federation defined that Rahm had two damaging assessments after leaving England, the place he performed within the British Open earlier this month. However a 3rd take a look at that was additionally required got here again constructive.
The nation stated it will not search to exchange the world No. 1 Rahm, leaving Adri Arnaus as its solely participant within the males’s match, which begins Thursday at Kasumigaseki Nation Membership exterior of Tokyo.
That is the second constructive take a look at for Rahm in fewer than two months. He was holding a six-shot lead after three rounds on the Memorial in early June when he was knowledgeable as he was coming of the course that he had examined constructive and must withdraw.
He got here again two weeks later to win the U.S. Open and vault to No. 1 on the planet. And now, Tokyo shall be with out the final two U.S. Open winners; DeChambeau gained it at Winged Foot in 2020.
After his win at Torrey Pines, Rahm stated he was vaccinated when he examined constructive on the Memorial, however nonetheless needed to be quarantined as a result of he had not been vaccinated for 14 days.
“Wanting again on it, yeah, I assume I want I’d have executed it (vaccination) earlier,” Rahm stated then. “However considering on scheduling functions and having the PGA and defending Memorial, to be sincere it wasn’t in my thoughts.”
Although not widespread, there have been individuals who catch COVID-19 regardless of being vaccinated. Likewise, there are uncommon examples of individuals getting re-infected.
DeChambeau, ranked sixth on the planet, stated he was “deeply disenchanted not to have the ability to compete within the Olympics for Group USA.”
“Representing my nation means the world to me and it’s was an amazing honor to make this crew,” he stated.
He shall be changed by 2018 Masters champion Patrick Reed, who should undergo COVID protocols Sunday and Monday with a purpose to journey to Japan and be prepared for the match later within the week.
“I want Bryson nothing however the most effective, and I understand how disenchanted he’s to not have the ability to compete, and I’ll do my greatest to play my greatest and symbolize our nation,” Reed stated within the USA Golf assertion.
Reed will be part of Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa and Xander Schauffele on the four-man U.S crew. Reed had been third in line to be a alternative, behind Patrick Cantlay and Brooks Koepka.
Koepka had beforehand sounded unenthused in regards to the prospect of enjoying within the Olympics, saying the game’s 4 majors, plus the Ryder Cup and different massive occasions, give gamers lots to try for. The Ryder Cup this 12 months is ready for Sept. 24-26 at Whistling Straits.
Reed has been extra gung-ho in regards to the Olympics, and now he’s the one two-time Olympian on the lads’s facet of the game, which was reintroduced to this system in 2016. He shot 64 within the remaining spherical in Rio de Janeiro and completed eleventh.
DeChambeau had been seeking to write a brand new chapter to his theatric 2021 season. It has included months of sparring with Koepka, a sudden break together with his longtime caddie, and, most not too long ago, a spat together with his membership sponsor when he stated his driver “sucks” after struggling on the British Open.
Calling all HuffPost superfans!
Join membership to turn out to be a founding member and assist form HuffPost’s subsequent chapter
