Dustin Johnson has a pretty good life. He's the number 16 golfer in the world, according to the Official World Golf Ranking, and he's engaged to model Paulina Gretzky. However, Johnson said yesterday he will be taking a leave of absence from the PGA Tour.
Despite finishing tied for fourth in this year's U.S. Open and tied for 12th in the British Open, Johnson believes it's important for him to work on "personal challenges", which will cause him to miss next week's PGA Championship as well as the Ryder Cup at the end of September. Johnson notified PGA America of his decision on Thursday.
"I will use this time to seek professional help for personal challenges I have faced," said Johnson in this ABC News article. "By committing the time and resources necessary to improve my mental health, physical well-being and emotional foundation, I am confident that I will be better equipped to fulfill my potential and become a consistent champion."
Johnson obviously already withdrew from this week's WGC-Bridgestone Invitation and he and his agent said they would issue no further comments on his decision. A number of Johnson's colleagues including Justin Rose, Tiger Woods, Zach Johnson, and Tom Watson have wished him well and say his absence will be a significant loss for the PGA Tour. Johnson has won eight PGA Tour events and ranks fourth on the FedEx Cup Season Points list with 1,769 in 17 professional events.
"We will certainly miss Dustin Johnson at Gleneagles, and we wish him the best," said Ryder Cup team captain Tom Watson, in this ESPN article, referring to the event in September. "As one of the longest hitters in the game with an undefeated record of 3-and-0 at Medinah in 2012, he has clearly been an asset for the United States team."
European Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley commented about Johnson's decision and how it will likely spur a lot of 'speculation and rumors.' Twitter has erupted since Johnson's announcement was made public and the New York Post already ran a piece about his 'hard-partying lifestyle.' However, the PGA Tour is obligated to announce any such conduct/substance abuse violations committed by a player. Johnson's agent told CBSSports that he is not serving a drug suspension, which is speculated due to his 11-week absence in 2012 that was believed to be a violation of the tour's anti-doping policy.
Whatever the case, Dustin's colleagues are wishing him the best and hope to see him back on the course as soon as possible. He will be missed as a part of the U.S. team at this year's Ryder Cup. You can read more about Johnson's leave of absence in this Fox News article.
UPDATE: The PGA suspends Dustin Johnson for six months after a positive cocaine test. You can read more about the initial report from Golf.com.
