I don’t have a cocaine problem, insists Dustin Johnson

Golfer Dustin Johnson says in a magazine interview that cocaine is not the reason he chose to sit out the last six months to get his life in order.

Johnson, who already has eight PGA Tour wins at age 30, said in August that he was taking a leave of absence from the PGA Tour to seek professional help for what he called “personal challenges.” Golf.com reported that he had failed a drug test for the third and time and had been suspended. The PGA Tour denied he had been suspended.

The interview was the first for Johnson since he took his leave of absence. He missed the final major, the FedEx Cup playoffs and the Ryder Cup. He has said he would not return to golf until his fiancee, Paulina Gretzky, has their first child. Johnson announced Tuesday evening that she gave birth to a healthy boy.

He said he didn’t go to rehab during his break from golf, instead hiring a team of experts, such as a life coach, to help him understand how to get the most out of his talent. Johnson is regarded as one of the best American players and the most athletic.