Thomas Bjørn Urges Players To Not Skip Olympics

The 2018 Ryder Cup winning captain, Thomas Bjørn, has urged players to not miss the Olympics this year after world number one Dustin Johnson said he would skip the Games to play in The Open and WGC-St Jude Invitational.

Thomas Bjørn Urges Players To Not Skip Olympics

Thomas Bjørn has urged the current crop of professional golfers to not skip the Olympics in Tokyo this year after Dustin Johnson announced he would not feature at the Games.

In a series of tweets, the 2018 Ryder Cup said: '1 So here we go again. The worlds best player says no to playing in the Olympics... Every athlete has that right and with the way the golfing schedule is, it is understandable. I have 100% respect for that.. Majors, FedEx Cup, Ryder Cup, there are plenty of things to focus on.

'2. I grew up and played my best when golf wasn’t in the Olympics and I look at it now wishing it had been. I would today have been a 3-5 time Olympian and would have backed myself to win a medal. What a thrill that must be. To represent my country that way would be an honour.

'3. Saying that I might not have won a medal but so what??? I would have taken part in the greatest sporting spectacle. I would have some unbelievable memories. I speak to players that took part and they all agree that it was an exceptional experience... Win or lose

'4. My advice to young golfers is.. If you are ever good enough there is two things you should do. Never miss your national open and play in The Olympics. When you get older you realise what you have missed out on..'

After finishing his third round at The Players Championship, world number one Dustin Johnson revealed that he would prioritise his focus towards the Open Championship and the WGC-St Jude Invitational, which are both either side of the Olympics.

Related: Dustin Johnson To Skip Tokyo Olympics

It wasn't the first time that Johnson had announced plans to skip the Olympics. In March of 2020, before the full COVID lockdowns, he confirmed that he would focus on the FedEx Cup playoffs rather than pursue a gold medal at Tokyo in July.

"It’s right in the middle of a big stretch of golf for me, so that was the reason I was kind of waffling on it a little bit. It’s a long way to travel, and I think WGC is the week right after it. The [Open] is a couple weeks before [the Games]. It’s a lot of traveling at a time where it’s important for me to feel like I’m focused playing on the PGA Tour.” Johnson said.

Related: Who Is Dustin Johnson’s Coach?