'Number 2' Johnson, Hatton, 'Rio Gold Medal' Rose: "Why Are They Skipping the Tokyo Olympics?"

World No. 2 Dustin Johnson, Louis Oosthuizen, and Rio Olympics gold medalist Justin Rose (from left).

[Asia Economy Kim Hyun-jun, Golf Specialist Reporter] "The PGA Tour is more important."

'Number 2' Dustin Johnson will not participate in the Tokyo Olympics. He is focusing on the U.S. Professional Golfers' Association (PGA) Tour. This is due to a tight schedule including the Open Championship in England on July 15, the Tokyo Olympics in Japan on July 29, and the World Golf Championships (WGC) FedEx St. Jude Invitational held again in Memphis, Tennessee, USA on August 5. He also skipped the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics in Brazil due to concerns about the Zika virus infection.

The United States can send the top four players based on world rankings. The national team consists of Justin Thomas (ranked 3rd to 6th), Collin Morikawa, Xander Schauffele, and Bryson DeChambeau. South Africa's Louis Oosthuizen (12th) also stated, "Finishing the PGA Tour with good results is a priority." Sergio Garcia (Spain, 48th) focused on the Ryder Cup, the intercontinental golf competition between the U.S. and Europe. He expressed his ambition, saying, "I want to be selected for the European team."

England's Tyrrell Hatton (11th) faces obstacles due to COVID-19. He said, "Overseas travel is not free due to the impact of COVID-19." Matthew Fitzpatrick (21st) and Lee Westwood (27th) also declined, so Paul Casey (20th) and Tommy Fleetwood (33rd) will participate. Justin Rose (England), the gold medalist at the Rio Olympics, dropped to 44th in the world rankings, making title defense impossible. Silver medalist Henrik Stenson (Sweden, 155th) and bronze medalist Matt Kuchar (USA, 64th) are in similar situations.

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