PGA Tour suspends Dustin Johnson for 6 months for positive cocaine test, per report
Dustin Johnson is out of competitive golf for six months after the PGA Tour suspended the big-hitting golfer for failing a drug test.
Dustin Johnson is off the PGA Tour for six months after he tested positive for cocaine, according to a Golf.com source.
Johnson, who announced on Thursday that he was taking an indefinite leave to deal with “personal challenges,” has failed two cocaine tests, one in 2012 and another this year, as well as a test for marijuana in 2009, according to the publication. Golf.com also reported that the tour, which does not make public disciplinary actions against players who fail tests for recreational drugs, suspended the big-hitting Johnson in 2012 for his failed test.
Dustin Johnson
Johnson’s cryptic message and the Tour’s terse response to his statement -- wishing DJ well and looking forward to his return -- had observers speculating about the nature of the golfer’s issues and left his peers stunned that the eight-time tour winner would miss September’s Ryder Cup.
“I will use this time to seek professional help for personal challenges I have faced,” Johnson said in his statement. “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.”
Johnson will miss not only the Ryder Cup but the final major of the season next week at Valhalla and the FedExCup playoffs. He blamed a previous lengthy layoff in 2012 on a back injury sustained in a jet ski accident.
One of the longest drivers of the ball on tour, Johnson has confounded pundits with his inability to win a major championship, especially the 2010 PGA Championship, during which he grounded his club in an area he did not identify as a hazard. His brain cramp cost him a spot in the playoff between Bubba Watson and winner Martin Kaymer.
