AKRON, Ohio — Dustin Johnson is taking a leave of absence from golf to seek help for “personal challenges,” a swift end to his season that will keep him from playing the PGA Championship, the FedEx Cup playoffs and the Ryder Cup.
In a statement Thursday from Hambric Sports Management, the 30-year-old Johnson said his leave of absence was effective immediately. It did not indicate how long he would be out.
Additional Images
“I will use this time to seek professional help for personal challenges I have faced,” Johnson said. “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.”
He asked for privacy “as I embark upon this mission of self-improvement.”
Johnson, who tied for fourth in the U.S. Open and tied for 12th in the British Open, was No. 5 in the Ryder Cup standings and virtually certain to earn one of the nine automatic spots when qualifying ends next week at the PGA Championship.
As long as he stays in the top nine, he will be replaced by the next player in the standings.
“We will certainly miss Dustin Johnson at Gleneagles and we wish him the best,” U.S. captain Tom Watson said. “As one of the longest hitters in the game with an undefeated record of 3-0 at Medinah in 2012, he has clearly been an asset for the United States team.”
Players at the Bridgestone Invitational said they were surprised by the announcement.
“If anything, I just hope this is the start of something really, really positive,” Zach Johnson said.
Justin Rose called it a “big blow for the tour.”
“I’ll tell you what, you always want guys with that kind of power to play on any team,” Tiger Woods said. “I’ve been his partner in the Presidents Cup in Australia, and the firepower that he has, it’s pretty cool to be around. It’s not too often you see the guy carry the ball 320 (yards) without even trying, and then when he steps on it he can hit it even further.”
Johnson was replaced in the PGA Championship by Jerry Kelly. Pat Perez is now the first alternate and will get into the PGA provided the Bridgestone winner is already eligible.
Johnson is No. 16 in the world ranking with eight PGA Tour victories.
Last year he got engaged to Paulina Gretzky, the daughter of NHL great Wayne Gretzky.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.