Rahm tests positive for virus after taking Memorial lead

DUBLIN, Ohio — Jon Rahm walked off the 18th green at the Memorial after tying the 54-hole record and building a six-shot lead, leaving him on the cusp of joining Tiger Woods as the only repeat winners.

Moments later, he doubled over and said in anguish, “Not again!”

Rahm was notified he tested positive for the coronavirus, knocking him out of the tournament.

A command performance, that included a hole-in-one Saturday morning to complete his second round, went to waste.

The PGA Tour said the Spaniard had come in close contact with a person who was COVID-19 positive, meaning he could play provided he was tested daily.

Every test came back negative except the one after his second round that was completed Saturday morning.

The positive test was confirmed, the results returned as he was on the 18th green. Rahm was been asymptomatic all week.

He was withdrawn from the tournament, leaving Patrick Cantlay and Collin Morikawa tied for the lead at 12-under 204.

“It’s kind of the worst situation for something like that to happen and he played awesome today and it’s just, it’s really a shame,” Cantlay said.

Collin Morikawa, who won at Muirfield Village last year in the first of back-to-back events at the club because of the pandemic, had a triple bogey on the par-3 12th hole and bounced back Saturday morning with a pair of birdies for a 72.

He was four shots behind at 6-under 130, along with Max Homa (69), Xander Schauffele (70) and Scottie Scheffler (71).

Herron takes 4-shot lead at Des Moines

Tim Herron shot a 9-under 63 on Saturday to take a four-stroke lead in the PGA Tour Champions’ Principal Charity Classic at Des Moines, Iowa.

Trying to win for the first time on the 50-and-over tour, Herron birdied the par-4 18th for a backnine 30 and 14-under 130 total at Wakonda Club.

“I haven’t been in this situation for probably a decade,”

Herron said. “Just go out and play each hole at a time. These guys are good. Someone else can shoot 9 under, so I’ve got to still kind of put the pedal down in the right spots. If I hit the fairway, I’ve got to go at the pin.”

The 51-year-old from Minnesota, a four-time winner on the PGA Tour, birdied three of the first five holes, then birdied Nos. 10-12, 15, 16 and 18 tp pull away.

Shane Bertsch and Rod Pampling were second after 67s.

Detry up by a stroke at European Open

Thomas Detry shot a 4-under 68 to take a one-stroke lead in the opening round as spectators returned to the fairways at the European Open at Hamburg,

Germany.

A declining rate of coronavirus infections allowed fans to attend a European Tour event for the first time since 2019.

It had been scheduled to begin Thursday, but the tournament was postponed by two days and shortened to 54 holes to allow players and tour staff time to get around Germany’s travel restrictions.

Detry started on the 10th hole and played his back nine in 29 with seven birdies and a double bogey. The Belgian golfer, looking for his first tour win in his 114th event, is one ahead of Sweden’s Alexander Bjork, England’s Ashley Chesters, Scotland’s

David Law and China’s Wu Ashun.