BEACH PONTE VEDRA, Fla. – Dustin Johnson confirmed on Saturday that he will not play at the Olympics in the summer.
After his third round of the Players Championship, World No. 1 said he had not signed up for the Tokyo Games and would prefer to focus on the PGA Tour record.
“He’s right in the middle of a big golf course for me, so that was why I was a bit of a waffling on a bit,” said Johnson, who also chose not to play for the U.S. team in 2016. , announcing concerns over the Zika virus.
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Men’s competition, scheduled for July 29-August. 1 in Saitama, Japan, is in the middle of a busy stretch for the best players in the world, starting a week and a half after the English Open. The four-day event is a week ahead of the FedEx St. World Golf Championships. Jude Invitational in Memphis and just two weeks before the start of the FedExCup playoffs. The Ryder Cup starts two weeks after the Tournament.
“It’s a lot of travel at a time when it’s important for me to feel like I’m focusing on playing on the PGA Tour,” Johnson said. He said he would “definitely” consider playing if there was more space between the tournaments.
The four Americans on the qualifying list – Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Xander Schauffele and Bryson DeChambeau – are still available to play in the Summer Games. Qualification expires the week after the U.S. Open in June.