Jon Rahm Wishes He Would've Received COVID-19 Vaccine Earlier After Positive Test

Jon Rahm lamented not receiving the COVID-19 vaccination at an earlier date after he was forced to withdraw from the Memorial Tournament.

Rahm finished up his third round and had a six-shot lead at Muirfield Village Golf Club when he was informed he had tested positive for COVID-19 and would have to exit the tournament. He told reporters Tuesday ahead of the U.S. Open that identifying the ideal time to get vaccinated simply wasn't a top priority at the time:

"Looking back on it, yeah, I guess I wish I would have done it earlier, but thinking on scheduling purposes and having the PGA and defending Memorial, I was just—to be honest, it wasn't in my mind. I'm not going to lie, I was trying to just get ready for a golf tournament. If I had done it a few days earlier, probably we wouldn't be having these conversations right now. It is what it is. We move on."

The 26-year-old added he knew he had been placed in the PGA Tour's COVID-19 contact-tracing protocols and that a positive test was a possibility. Because of that, he didn't take issue with the Tour's decision to pull him out of the Memorial altogether.

Those watching the tournament on television saw the moment Rahm was informed of the news. He spoke with a Tour official and doubled over before heading toward the clubhouse.

The cameras caught Rahm saying "not again," which he said was a reference to losing one stroke due to a rules violation at the 2020 Memorial.

"That's the second time I get put on the spot on national TV on the same golf course on the same hole," he said Tuesday. "For all those people wondering when I said, 'Not again,' that's exactly what I mean: Not again."

The U.S. Open is Rahm's first event since the Memorial.

His first career victory came at Torrey Pines in the 2017 Farmers Insurance Open. In general, he has thrived in Southern California.

DraftKings Sportsbook lists Rahm as the betting favorite (+1050) ahead of Bryson DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson and Xander Schauffele at +1500.

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