Former world number one 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 Monday.
World number five 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 Olympics comes as the sporting world grapples with turmoil from the coronavirus outbreak, which has forced the cancellation of several high-profile events across the globe.
However Johnson's agent David Winkle told ESPN that his client had opted to skip
"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."