Dustin Johnson was one of the first big-name players to leave the PGA Tour for LIV Golf in 2022 and played in the Saudi-funded league’s inaugural event in England
Dustin Johnson left the PGA Tour for LIV Golf in 2022(Image: Getty Images)
LIV Golf returns to England this week, the country where the league’s first-ever tournament took place in 2022.
Over the past three years, LIV has competed with the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, and the game’s other tours to cement its place in the game. Some of the biggest names in golf have signed up to play on the Saudi-funded circuit, including Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau, and there’s talk of a women’s league being launched in the coming years.
But back in 2022, LIV was just finding its feet in the sport. To help establish itself ahead of its inaugural event at Centurion Club three years ago, the series, then under the leadership of Australian golf icon Greg Norman, signed a superstar in Dustin Johnson.
As a former world No. 1 and Masters champion, Johnson immediately became one of LIV’s leading figures due to his standing in the game. But his decision to play for Norman’s league saw him exiled from the PGA Tour and out of consideration for the Ryder Cup.
It was reported at the time that Johnson was handed a $150 million contract by LIV. To put that into perspective, he had won $74 million in career prize money upon joining LIV. With one handshake, Johnson had picked up more than double his career earnings.
“I don’t want to play for the rest of my life, this gives me an opportunity to do what I want to do,” Johnson told reporters when asked why he joined LIV.
Greg Norman persuaded Johnson to sign up(Image: Getty Images)
The American has also taken advantage of LIV’s huge purses for each individual tournament, earning more than $58 million in prize money from the league. That figure included an $18 million payday for being crowned the 2022 LIV Golf Individual Champion.
Only Talor Gooch, the 2023 LIV Golf Individual Champion, has earned more prize money from the league than Johnson ($64.4 million).
Johnson, who won the U.S. Open in 2016 and the Masters in 2020, was asked about the prospect of never playing in the Ryder Cup again upon joining LIV. He’s appeared in five Ryder Cups during his career, winning at Hazeltine in 2016 and Whistling Straits in 2021.
The ex-Team USA star said: “The Ryder Cup is unbelievable and has meant a lot to me, but ultimately I decided this was best for me and my family. All things are subject to change, and hopefully, at some point, it will change and I will get a chance to do that again.”
Johnson hasn’t appeared in a Ryder Cup since joining LIV, and he’s unlikely to play at Bethpage Black in New York this September.
Ultimately, Johnson’s decision to accept LIV’s riches and leave the PGA Tour came down to one thing: family. He’s married to Paulina Gretzky, the daughter of legendary hockey player Wayne, and the couple shares two sons together.
Johnson explained in 2022: “I thought it was best for me and my family. I resign my membership of the PGA Tour.
“What the consequences are going to be, I can’t comment on how the Tour’s going to handle it. I can’t answer for the majors, but hopefully they’re going to allow us to play. Obviously, I’m exempt for the majors, so I plan on playing there unless I hear otherwise.”
This week’s LIV Golf UK event takes place at JCB Golf and Country Club in Rochester, England, having moved the tournament from Centurion Club last year.
