Dustin Johnson and his wife, Paulina Gretzky, have one son, but would like to have more children. That is the main reason the U.S. Open champion cited for his decision not travel to Rio de Janeiro for the Olympic Games in August.

Johnson claimed his maiden major title at Oakmont in June and it was only last month that the 32-year-old American said he was excited to be representing his country in Brazil.

However, the world number two released a statement late on Friday with his decision to not play in the Olympics, joining the likes of Jason Day, Rory McIlroy and Adam Scott in skipping the Games.

"As an athlete, I can think of no greater honour than representing the United States in the Olympic Games," Johnson said in the statement released by his agent, David Winkle.

"However, after much careful consideration and discussion with both my family and my team, I have made the decision to withdraw from the 2016 Olympic Games.

"This was not an easy decision for me, but my concerns about the Zika virus cannot be ignored. Paulina and I plan to have more children in the near future, and I feel it would be irresponsible to put myself, her or our family at risk. I believe I am making the right decision for me and most importantly, my family."

Golf is set to return to the Games for the first time in 112 years, but the host city has seen a plethora of issues since Brazil also hosted the 2014 World Cup.