Tuesday 20 July 2021 11:08, UK
Dustin Johnson is reported to have made himself unavailable for selection for the Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Golfweek journalist Eamon Lynch received an email from Johnson's manager, David Winkle, which confirmed the world No 5 would not be competing for a gold medal due to scheduling difficulties.
Both Johnson and Brooks Koepka hinted in January that the OIympics was not a priority for them, with the men's event taking place shortly before the FedExCup Play-Offs in August.
Ahead of the Saudi International, Johnson said: "Representing the United States in the Olympics is something that I definitely would be proud to do, but is it going to fit in the schedule properly? I'm not really sure about that."
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According to Golfweek, Johnson is now the first high-profile player to be giving the Olympics a miss this year, as explained in the email from Winkle.
"Dustin gave the Olympics a great deal of thought and we discussed the pros and cons of him participating at length," Winkle wrote.
"At the end of the day, it's a matter of personal preference and priority. As much as he would be honoured to be an Olympian, the FedExCup Playoffs are also very important to him.
"Having had a few close calls in the playoffs, he really wants to win them before his time is done and feels that he wouldn't be giving himself the best opportunity to do so if he added lengthy international trip just prior to their beginning (and shortly after returning from two weeks in Europe)."
