It appears Dustin Johnson’s “leave of absence’’ from professional golf was not exactly voluntary.
The wildly-talented, 30-year-old Johnson, who on Thursday issued a statement saying he was stepping away from the game indefinitely “to seek professional help for personal challenges I have faced,’’ has been given an ultimatum by the PGA Tour to clean up his act after testing positive for cocaine, a source told The Post on Friday.
Earlier Friday, Golf.com reported Johnson has been suspended for six months.
The PGA Tour refuted that report, releasing this statement: “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 suspension by the PGA Tour.’’
This, however, is a matter of semantics, according to the source.
The Golf.com report also stated this is the third drug test Johnson has failed and the second time he has been suspended by the PGA Tour.
The PGA Tour does not announce suspensions or comment on violations for use of recreational drugs unless the player has tested positive for a performance-enhancing substance.
According to the report, Johnson tested positive for marijuana in 2009 and for cocaine in 2012.
In 2012, he withdrew from the Masters days before the tournament stating he injured his back lifting a jet ski.
That year, he played in the WGC-Cadillac Championships at Doral in March and did not play again until the Memorial in June.
The three-month period of inactivity fueled speculation he had been quietly suspended by the PGA Tour, but his manager, David Winkle, publicly denied Johnson was suspended.
Johnson’s Thursday statement read: “I will use this time to seek professional help for personal challenges I have faced. 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, who is engaged to Wayne Gretzky’s daughter, Paulina, has been viewed on the PGA Tour as a chronic screw-up, seemingly wasting what many people believe to be as much talent as any player in the game. He’s one of the longest and straightest drivers of the ball, having had one drive at the British Open last month measure more than 400 yards.
With the DUI he was arrested for in 2009 in his native South Carolina, these reported repeated failed drug tests and other issues, including reportedly having an affair with the wife of at least one fellow PGA Tour pro, it’s no wonder he has thrown away a handful of chances to win a major championship.
In 2010, Johnson famously melted down in the U.S. Open, blowing a final-round lead by shooting 82. Later that year, he was about to win the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits, but was penalized for grounding his club in a bunker he thought was just a patch of sandy dirt.
Nevertheless, Johnson won eight PGA Tour events before the age of 30 — more than anyone his age. He, too, was in the midst of his best year in 2014 with a win, two seconds and seven top 10s on the way to earning more than $4.2 million. He was in contention at last month’s British Open, finishing in a tie for 12th.
Johnson also was a lock to make the U.S. Ryder Cup team, fourth on the points list, and a huge asset in team play because of his uncanny length.
The terse statement the PGA Tour issued on Thursday regarding Johnson’s announcement about his “leave’’ of absence — “We have nothing to add to Dustin’s statements but wish him well and look forward to his return to the PGA Tour in the future” — provided read-between-the-lines evidence that this news broken by Johnson was not all about voluntary self-help.
So this latest Johnson development hardly comes as a surprise.