On Thursday, golfer, Dustin Johnson, announced that he will take a leave of absence from the sport to focus on solving personal challenges which will eventually prompt him to miss the Ryder Cup.

In a report by USA Today, it was noted that Johnson will be out for a still "unknown" period. He will not be able to participate in next week's PGA Championship and on September's biennial tussle with Europe, the report added.

"I am taking a leave of absence from professional golf, effective immediately. 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 said in a statement quoted by USA Today.

He also asked his fans, well-wishers and the media for his privacy in solving the matter which he said he needs for "self-improvement."

Johnson, according to the report, is currently in the No. 5 spot of the U.S. team which makes him automatically qualified for Glasgow since the top nine players are sent. USA Today noted that if he will not be able to compete, his spot will go to the ranked 10^th player.

In a report by ESPN, team captain, Tom Watson, said that the U.S. team has an "abundance of talent."

"I am looking forward to teeing it up alongside those players in the PGA Championship at Valhalla, and finding out along with everyone else, which players qualify for the team based on points," he added.

The PGA Tour, for their part, noted in a statement that they do not want to share any further detail about his opting out of the tournament but that they wish Johnson well and that they are looking forward to his return to the tournament.

ESPN added that Johnson is regarded as one of the "most talented players" in the game, with eight victories already up his sleeve. It added that the player missed the cut of the Canadian Open last week.

He reportedly missed the Masters game in 2012 due to a back injury and ESPN noted that he was not also able to play for three months after that, missing the WGC-Cadillac Championship and also the Memorial Tournament.

In 2013, Johnson announced his engagement with girlfriend, Paulina Gretzky, the daughter of NHL Hall of Famer, Wayne Gretzky.