Jon Rahm has tested positive for COVID-19 for the second time in two months, knocking the Spaniard out of the Olympics only a few hours after American golfer Bryson DeChambeau met the same fate.
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Rahm's positive test was announced by the Spanish Olympic committee.
It put a damper on the golf tournament, which is scheduled to begin on Thursday, and also offered a stark reminder of the tenuous nature of putting on the Games in the midst of a pandemic.
Olympic golf will now be without the last pwo US Open champions.
DeChambeau won in 2020 at Winged Foot and Rahm took the title last month at Torrey Pines in a comeback of sorts.
He was only two weeks removed from building a six-shot lead after the third round of the Memorial, only to be told as he was walking off the course that he had tested positive for COVID-19 and had to withdraw.
DeChambeau has been replaced by 2018 Masters champion Patrick Reed, who joins Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa and Xander Schauffele in the star-studded United States men's team as he heads to his second Games.
A statement from the US PGA Tour confirmed DeChampeau failed the final testing protocol before heading out to the Japanese capital to represent Team USA.
Reed was to undergo testing on Sunday and Monday before departing for Japan.
- with AP
Australian Associated Press
