Dustin Johnson: Modest Rise, Devastating Fall? Stay Tuned…
From the archive: published Aug 4, 2014, 12 years ago. Details may have changed since.
Dustin Johnson has been in the news quite a bit the past few weeks, and for all the wrong reasons.
The PGA hasn’t been rocked with a scandal of this magnitude since Tiger Woods back in 2009. Johnson, one of the PGA’s most consistent players, has decided to take a leave of absence from golf after failing three drug tests, one for marijuana, and two for cocaine, according to Fox News .
“I will use this time to seek professional help for personal challenges I have faced,” he said. “By committing the time and resources necessary to improve my mental health, physical well-being and emotional foundation, I am confident that I will be better equipped to fulfill my potential and become a consistent champion.”
The PGA also issued a statement about the leave of absence. “With regard to media reports that Dustin Johnson has been suspended by the PGA Tour, this is to clarify that Mr Johnson has taken a voluntary leave of absence and is not under a suspension from the PGA Tour.”
Add to this the persistent rumors of Johnson’s infidelity. He recently got engaged to Paulina Gretzky (yes, Wayne Gretzky’s daughter). However, rumors around the practice tee is that Johnson has had affairs with at least two PGA wives, with the end result of one of the marriages now being over. It is expected that his leave of absence will be used to address the drug and infidelity issues.
According to the Irish Times, the PGA is not entirely blameless in the handling of players and drug issues. While the PGA does schedule drug tests for its players, they are often inclined to not release the results publicly. Also, if a player, such as Johnson, is found to be in need of rehabilitation, the player is given the option to either be suspended for six months or take a six-month leave of absence.
The lack of information leaves some players, like Graeme McDowell, on the fence. “The PGA Tour control how they handle things, they are an incredibly big brand around the world and they have got to protect their players but their players have got to play fairly as well. So, tough to know what is going down. We all wish Dustin well and hopefully he is back playing our game soon.”
What matters in the end is that Johnson gets the assistance he needs. Perhaps a more public disclosure is needed; it can only be hoped that Johnson comes back in a better state than when he left.