Spaniard inspired by former champions’ tales of bouncing back from disaster to win first major two weeks after Covid infection
Two weeks ago, Jon Rahm was playing the golf of his life at the Memorial at Muirfield Village, equalling the tournament’s 54-hole record at 18-under-par and opening a six-stroke lead over the field, only to be informed on live television while coming off the 18th green that he would have to withdraw after testing positive for the coronavirus.
The guidelines of the PGA Tour and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – the US public health agency – require 10 days of self-isolation after a positive test, limiting Rahm’s ability to practise before the US Open. Only because he was able to return two negative tests within 24 hours was he permitted to cut his quarantine short and arrive at Torrey Pines Golf Course for the season’s third major before Tuesday.
Related: ‘Power of positive thinking’: Jon Rahm rebounds from Covid to win US Open
Related: ‘Not again’: Jon Rahm told he has Covid on live TV while leading US PGA event
