Dustin Johnson will not defend WGC-HSBC Champions crown
Dustin Johnson’s leave of absence from the PGA Tour will not end next week in China. Per his agent, Johnson will not defend his title at the WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai.
Johnson has been on a leave of absence from the PGA Tour since July 31, saying he was taking time off to address “personal problems.”
“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 said in a statement released announcing the leave of absence.
In the days that followed, Golf Magazine reported Johnson had been suspended by the PGA Tour for a failed drug test under its anti-doping program, a charge the Tour refutes.
The eight-time PGA Tour winner and fiancee Paulina Gretzky announced in late September they’re expected their first child. It probably will not be until the child is born that Johnson shows up again on the PGA Tour.
“He will likely not return to action until after the baby arrives,” said Johnson’s agent, David Winkle, to ESPN. “In the meantime, he is doing great and is very excited about becoming a father.”
Johnson, however, has played golf during his time away from the PGA Tour. The 30-year-old was taped by his future mother-in-law, Janet Gretzky, playing golf at an Idaho resort with a small crowd of interested onlookers. Shortly after the video began to spread through the sports world, the video was deleted from Instagram, where it was posted.
Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.
