Dustin Johnson Surrenders PGA Tour Membership, Likely Also Ryder Cup Status
HERTFORDSHIRE, England — Dustin Johnson is on the verge of becoming a lifetime member of the PGA Tour, the required 15 years of time just months away, while the requisite 20 tournament wins were already in the record books a few years ago.
But Johnson is in England this week instead of Canada, where the PGA Tour’s RBC Canadian Open is taking place and where he would otherwise be expected to be competing as an RBC ambassador.
He will be competing in the first LIV Golf Invitational Series event at the Centurion Club, and said he has given up his PGA Tour membership — which means that lifetime membership distinction will not occur.
“I’ve resigned my membership of the Tour and I’m going to play here for now, that’s the plan,’’ Johnson said.
That is despite the fact that it likely means Johnson won’t be able to play in the Presidents Cup or Ryder Cup, and his status for the major championships remains murky, with no official word from the majors' governing organizations.
With 24 victories, Johnson has more PGA Tour wins than any player under the age of 50 who is not named Tiger Woods. Two years ago he won the Masters, and as recently as four months ago was ranked fifth in the world.
Now 15th, Johnson held a lengthy stint at No. 1 until the 2021 U.S. Open. He was also a key member of the U.S. Ryder Cup team last fall.
His decision to join LIV Golf did not come without some consternation. On Feb. 20, Johnson, 37, released a statement through the PGA Tour pledging his allegiance to the circuit after considerable conjecture about his intentions.
But there was a good bit of wavering in the last two weeks, and Johnson admitted it was back and forth. He’s been offered a reported $125 million just to sign on, which is likely for five years and doesn’t include the potential to earn millions more in prize money, and became the first big name to be part of the series when the field was announced last week. Phil Mickelson, a six-time major winner, joined him on Monday.
Johnson admitted the potential of missing the Ryder Cup gave him pause.
“Obviously, all things are subject to change and hopefully at some point they will but, ultimately, I decided to come do this and play out here. I’m excited about it," he said.
“The Ryder Cup is unbelievable and is something that has definitely meant a lot to me. I’m proud to say that I’ve played and represented my country. Hopefully, I’ll get a chance to do that again but I don’t make the rules.’’
To be a member of the U.S. Ryder Cup team, you need to first be a member of the PGA of America, the organization that overseas club professionals, who are required to go through a PGA Club Management program. PGA Tour players, however, are granted PGA of America membership.
You can’t earn points for qualification if you are not playing the PGA Tour, and there has been no precedent for captain’s picks selecting non-members.
Johnson has joined Kevin Na and Oosthuizen in giving up PGA Tour membership. The Associated Press reported that Sergio Garcia, Branden Grace and Charl Schwartzel had also done so.
These are certainly not normal times in golf, and that was evident Tuesday when Johnson joined Oosthuizen, Graeme McDowell and 15-year-old amateur Ratchanon Chantananuwat for a news conference that was moderated by Ari Fleischer, the former White House press secretary to President George W. Bush.
Fleischer is well-schooled in political matters, so it was fitting when the subject of Saudi Arabia and the country’s Public Investment Fund became part of the questioning. The PIF is the funding source of for LIV Golf, and Saudi’s human rights record and “sportswashing efforts’’ are a big part of the angst associated with the new venture.
McDowell, who won the 2010 U.S. Open, was clearly uncomfortable with the topic and admitted it is not easy.
“This has been incredibly polarizing," he said. "I think we all agree up here, take the (Jamal) Khashoggi situation; we all agree that’s reprehensible. Nobody is going to argue that fact.
“But we are golfers. Speaking personally, I really feel like golf is a force for good in the world. I just try to be a great role model to kids. I know what the game of golf has taught me. I love using the game of golf as something to kind of help grow around the world. That's pretty much what we've been for the last 20 years, being role models for kids and try to use this game, like I say, as a force of good really.
“We are not politicians. I know you guys hate that expression, but we are really not, unfortunately. We are professional golfers. If Saudi Arabia wanted to use the game of golf as a way for them to get to where they want to be and they have the resources to accelerate that experience, I think we are proud to help them on that journey using the game of golf and the abilities that we have to help grow the sport and take them to where they want to be.’’
Chantananuwat might be excused if the discussion is one that is difficult for him. Earlier this year, he became the youngest player to ever win a sanctioned Official World Golf Ranking event when he won on the Asian Tour.
He joked about the tests he has to take in school and getting to meet some of his golf idols.
Undoubtedly, he will learn more about it as the issue is unlikely to go away anytime soon as players compete for $25 million in each of the first seven events, with $50 million at a season-ending event in October.
“I think as golfers, if we tried to cure geopolitical situations in every country in the world that we play golf in, we wouldn’t play a lot of golf,’’ McDowell said. “It’s a really hard question to answer. We’re just here to focus on the golf and kind of what it does globally for the role models that these guys are. It’s a really hard question to get into it.’’
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