Johnson passes on chance for Olympic golf gold medal

On the fence about the Olympics at the start of the year, Dustin Johnson decided he won’t be going.

Johnson’s manager said in a text message Monday that the FedEx Cup playoffs hold as much importance to Johnson as chasing a gold medal in Tokyo this summer.

“I feel certain he would choose otherwise if the timing were different, but feels he is making the best decision under the circumstances,” said David Winkle of Hambric Sports Management.

Johnson’s name was removed from the Olympic golf ranking Monday afternoon. At No. 5 in the world ranking, he currently would have been No. 3 among Americans behind Brooks Koepka and Justin Thomas. Countries are allowed a maximum of four players in golf provided they are among the top 15 in the world ranking.

Golfweek first reported Johnson’s decision.

Johnson was the leading American for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro when he decided at the last minute to withdraw because of concerns over the Zika virus.

This was more about the FedEx Cup and the lucrative prize Johnson has yet to win. The top prize is now worth $15 million.

Asked about the Olympics at the beginning of the year, Johnson said he wasn’t sure how his schedule would be in the summer with the Tokyo Games coming after the final major and before the FedEx Cup playoffs.

• Baseball’s final qualifying event for the Tokyo Olympics has been postponed from April to June because of concerns over the virus outbreak that has infected nearly 89,000 people and caused more than 3,000 deaths, mostly in China.

Horse racing

STRONACH GROUP COO RITVO OUT >> Tim Ritvo is out as chief operating officer of The Stronach Group, which runs Santa Anita, where a large number of horse deaths has provoked a crisis in the sport.

The Stronach Group, which also owns Golden Gate Fields, announced Monday that Ritvo left the same day to “pursue new opportunities.” His departure is one of several changes that have occurred in TSG’s executive ranks.

In November, TSG hired Craig Fravel as chief executive of racing, a new position. Ritvo reported to Fravel, who previously ran the Breeders’ Cup.

Ritvo arrived at Santa Anita in 2017 after a string of successes as general manager at TSG-owned Gulfstream Park in Florida. He also led operations at the Maryland Jockey Club.

But he found a rougher path at Santa Anita. He fired racing secretary Rick Hammerle and popular race announcer Michael Wrona, while instituting new wagering gimmicks. He hired P.J. Campo, another TSG executive, to work in Santa Anita’s racing office, but Campo left the company early last year.

Ritvo’s tenure included the crisis involving horse deaths at Santa Anita for which no single cause has been found.

Bryant crash

DEPUTIES SHARED KOBE CRASH PHOTOS >> Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said eight deputies allegedly took or shared graphic photos of the Kobe Bryant helicopter crash scene, but he ordered them deleted.

“That was my No. 1 priority, was to make sure those photos no longer exist,” Villanueva told NBC News for a story. “We identified the deputies involved, they came to the station on their own and had admitted they had taken them and they had deleted them. And we’re content that those involved did that.”

The sheriff said he learned the week of the crash that as many as eight deputies may have been involved.

“We’ve communicated in no uncertain terms that the behavior is inexcusable,” Villanueva said. “I mean, people are grieving for the loss of their loved ones. To have that on top of what they’ve already gone through is unconscionable.”

Winter Games

RUSSIAN BIATHLETES APPEAL >> Three Russian biathletes went to sport’s highest court to appeal against being stripped of their silver medals from the 2014 Sochi Olympics for doping.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport said a scheduled two-day hearing started with biathletes Olga Vilukhina, Yana Romanova and Olga Zaytseva in attendance. A verdict is expected to take at least several weeks.

The biathletes are challenging International Olympic Committee disciplinary rulings in 2017 to disqualify them from the Sochi Winter Games after being implicated in a statebacked doping program.

NFL

DE NGAKOUE WANTS OUT OF JACKSONVILLE >> Firing unbending taskmaster Tom Coughlin was supposed to alleviate concerns some Jacksonville Jaguars had about playing for the oftmismanaged franchise.

It clearly didn’t work. Standout defensive end Yannick Ngakoue said he no longer wants to sign a long-term deal with the Jaguars, becoming the third Pro Bowler in less than a year to essentially give up on the team.