This story just infuriates the heck out of me.

Jon Rahm was in the middle of playing golf in the PGA’s Memorial Tournament. He had a six-stroke lead, on a real tear with 18 under par, equal to the tournament record for the lowest, three-round score.

He was making amazing shots like this one.

JON RAHM WITH AN ACE TO TAKE THE LEAD! 🤩 pic.twitter.com/ZMPAXgsXLu

— GolfBet (@GolfBet) June 5, 2021

With such a big lead and playing on such a level, he was on track to win the almost $1.7 million prize.

But in the middle of the tournament, live on-air, officials came up to him and told him he would have to withdraw because he had tested positive for the Wuhan coronavirus.

This is just heartbreaking.

Surreal TV moment as six-stroke leader Jon Rahm learns he tested positive for COVID and Jim Nantz tries to make sense of it without knowing what Rahm's been told pic.twitter.com/WvD6LmAlxs

— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) June 5, 2021

Remarkable moment plays out on CBS as John Rahm finds out he’s tested positive for COVID-19 while leading the tournament by six strokes pic.twitter.com/tCKbZtMlOI

— Blake Harms (@wxblakeharms) June 5, 2021

Apparently, he’d been exposed to someone and was being tested daily by the tournament officials. They had told him he could participate if he got daily testing, and they restricted him from being indoors. He was asymptomatic. But his test that day apparently came back positive, so they pulled him.

PGA TOUR Statement on Jon Rahm pic.twitter.com/HvMmWLCHeq

— PGA TOUR Communications (@PGATOURComms) June 5, 2021

This is just unreal. They just cost this guy a likely tournament win — and the huge monetary prize — because of an idiotic reaction. He obviously wasn’t feeling any effects and playing at an incredible pace.

He’s outdoors, and golf is basically inherent social-distancing. You don’t have to be near anyone else but your caddy. Heck, he’d probably have carried his own bags, if he could have been allowed to continue. He’s also asymptomatic, as I said. It makes absolutely no sense. If they allowed him to start at all, they should have allowed him to finish.

His two playing partners, who had both previously had the virus, said they weren’t concerned about getting it at all. So, why couldn’t he have finished, even away from them?

Needless to say, Rahm was crushed.

From Daily Mail:

‘I’m very disappointed in having to withdraw from the Memorial Tournament. This is one of those things that happens in life, one of those moments where how we respond to a setback defines us as people.

‘I’m very thankful that my family and I are all OK. I will take all of the necessary precautions to be safe and healthy, and I look forward to returning to the golf course as soon as possible.

‘Thank you to all of the fans for their support and I’m looking forward to watching the showdown tomorrow afternoon with you all.’

He now has to remain in isolation until June 15.

Now, whoever wins will know that their win really should come with an asterisk, and that person wouldn’t know that he won it because he was the best of the tournament.

Nice job, tournament officials, for a really bad call.