Dustin Johnson, who is on a voluntary leave of absence from the PGA Tour, will not defend his title next week at the HSBC-Champions event in China, his agent said Friday.
"[Not defending in Shanghai] has been the plan all along," Johnson's agent, David N. Winkle, wrote in an email to ESPN.com's Bob Harig. "He will likely not return to action until after the baby arrives. In the meantime, he is doing great and is very excited about becoming a father."
In late September, Johnson's fiancée, Paulina Gretzky, posted a photo of herself on Instagram saying the couple is expecting its first child. No due date was given.
In early August, according to a golf.com report, Johnson was suspended by the PGA Tour for testing positive for cocaine use. When he announced he was stepping away from golf, Johnson issued a statement saying: "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."
Not surprisingly, he's been playing during his absence.
Brandon Hagy, a former first-team All-American at Cal, tweeted a photo of the 30-year-old Johnson late Thursday and said he played with the eight-time PGA Tour winner. After attempts were made to contact Hagy via Twitter, the photo was deleted from his timeline. The location of the course, when the round was played and the identities of the other people in the photo were unknown.
In early August, shortly after his suspension was announced, Johnson was reportedly seen in Idaho playing golf at a high-end resort.
About a month later, Johnson's future father-in-law, hockey legend Wayne Gretzky, showed public support for the embattled golfer during an interview with a Canadian radio station.
Johnson is currently ranked 16th in the world. During his time away, Johnson has so far missed the PGA Championship, the FedEx Cup playoffs and the Ryder Cup.