Golfer Dustin Johnson to skip Olympics for FedExCup Play-off

Former world No. 1 Dustin Johnson has become the first high-ranking golfer to withdraw from this year's Olympic Games, with his agent citing a tight schedule for the withdrawal, reports said on Monday.

World No. 5 Johnson, who by current rankings would be eligible for a place amongst the US squad for Tokyo, pulled out of the 2016 Olympics due to concerns over the Zika virus.

The 35-year-old's decision to skip the July 24-Aug 9 Games comes as the sporting world grapples with the coronavirus outbreak, which has forced the cancellation of several high-profile events across the globe.

However, Johnson's agent David Winkle said his client had opted to skip Tokyo because of the PGA Tour's condensed tournament schedule.

"You just can't do it all, given the newly compressed schedule," Winkle told ESPN.

"Dustin and others learned a lot about themselves and what works for them last year, so I applaud him for not overextending himself and keeping his personal priorities in line."

Winkle said Johnson was instead targeting the lucrative FedExCup Play-offs, which start 11 days after the July 30-Aug 2 Olympic golf tournament wraps up.

"As much as he would be honoured to be an Olympian, the FedExCup Play-offs are also very important to him." - AFP