Dustin Johnson Withdraws from the Olympics Citing Zika Virus

Dustin Johnson, who won his first major championship at the U.S. Open on June 19th and then won the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational on June 26th, has withdrawn his name from Olympic consideration citing the Zika Virus.

Johnson is currently ranked second in the official world golf rankings and would have been on a team with Jordan Spieth, who has yet to decide whether he will actually play in Rio, Bubba Watson, who said if he were planning on having more kids he wouldn’t play, and Rickie Fowler, who has also expressed concerns.

Johnson released the following statement through his agent, David Winkle of Hambric Sports Management:

"“As an athlete, I can think of no greater honor than representing the United States in the Olympic Games, however, after much careful consideration and discussion with both my family and my team, I have made the decision to withdraw from the 2016 Olympic Games. This was not an easy decision for me, but my concerns about the Zika Virus cannot be ignored. Paulina and I plan to have more children in the near future, and I feel it would be irresponsible to put myself, her or our family at risk.” “I believe I am making the right decision for me and most importantly, my family. While I am sure some will be critical of my decision, my hope is that most will understand and support it. That being said, those who choose to compete in Rio certainly have my respect and best wishes for a unforgettable and safe experience.”"

Johnson is the seventh golfer ranked in the top 20 who won’t be in Rio, but so far he is the only American to withdraw. Johnson will be replaced by the next guy in line in the rankings, who is Patrick Reed and had this to say about the Olympics:

"“Any time I can wear stars and stripes, I do it,” he said. “I get the call tomorrow, I’ll be on the flight. It doesn’t matter to me on where it is, when it is. If I can play for my country, I’m going to go play.”"

Is Johnson’s withdrawal solely based on the Zika Virus? Probably not, but in my opinion he was the easiest of the top four American’s to rule out and I said as much after Rory withdrew. Johnson has a young son and plans on having more kids, he’s also the hottest golfer on the Tour and that, along with the major championship schedule, his lead in the FedExCup standings, and seeing Jason Day and Rory McIlroy withdraw probably helped push him over the edge.

The big question now is whether or not Jordan Spieth will withdraw.