Dustin Johnson resigns from PGA Tour after signing mega deal with Saudi-backed LIV Golf

In February, Dustin Johnson said he was “fully committed” to the PGA Tour. 

Now, after reportedly signing a $125 million contract with the breakaway LIV Golf series, the former No. 1 golfer in the world is resigning from the PGA Tour.

Johnson told reporters Tuesday during a press conference ahead of the new tour’s inaugural event that he plans to play exclusively in LIV Golf events and major championships. 

“For right now, I’ve resigned my membership on the tour, and I’m going to play [LIV] for now,” Johnson said. “That’s the plan.”

Johnson, the No. 13-ranked player in the world, has been a member of the PGA Tour since 2008. His 24 PGA Tour victories rank fourth among active players, behind only Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Vijay Singh. He earned $74.2 million on the tour. 

Johnson was asked at Tuesday’s press conference about his February statement about being committed to the PGA Tour and what has changed in the months since.

“At that time, I was committed to playing the PGA Tour,” Johnson said. “I’m very thankful for the PGA Tour and everything it’s done for me. I’ve done pretty well out there for the last 15 years. But this is something that was best for me and my family. It’s something exciting and something new.”

Dustin Johnson just announced that he has resigned from the PGA Tour.

He will join the LIV Golf Invitational Series for a reported $125 million.pic.twitter.com/zyOwqEu53d

— Front Office Sports (@FOS) June 7, 2022

When LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman last week released his list of players set to participate in the opener at the Centurion Club in London, Johnson was the most surprising name on the list. The Telegraph later reported that Johnson was given $125 million by Saudi Arabia-funded LIV Golf to join the new tour. 

Johnson, who lost sponsor Royal Bank of Canada due to joining LIV Golf, is now among a handful of PGA professionals who resigned from the tour after spurning it by playing on Norman’s circuit. Kevin Na was the first to resign, and Sergio Garcia, Branden Grace and Charl Schwartzel later followed. About a dozen PGA golfers in total are signed up to golf at Centurion. 

While Johnson is a big name for LIV Golf, he isn’t the biggest fish that Norman reeled in. That, of course, is Phil Mickelson, who announced on Monday that he would be playing at Centurion and in future LIV Golf events. 

“I am ready to come back to play the game I love but after 32 years this new path is a fresh start, one that is exciting for me at this stage of my career and is clearly transformative, not just for myself, but ideally for the game and my peers,” Mickelson wrote. 

“I am thrilled to begin with LIV Golf and I appreciate everyone involved.”

Mickelson, 51, hasn’t played in four months, or since his comments about the Saudi-funded tour caused controversy. According to Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine, Mickelson was paid $200 million to join the new tour. 

Mickelson also said he still wants to play in major championships as next week’s U.S. Open looms. Johnson, meanwhile, said Tuesday that he still expects to be allowed to play in the majors, for which he has exemptions after winning the U.S. Open in 2017 and the Masters in 2020. 

“I can’t answer for the majors, but hopefully they’re going to allow us to play,” Johnson said. “Obviously I’m exempt for the majors, so I plan on playing unless I hear otherwise.”

The 54-hole Centurion event is scheduled to begin Thursday. The purse for the event is a staggering $25 million, while the overall prize pool for the eight-event series is $255 million. Other events on the tour will take place in New Jersey (at former President Donald Trump’s Bedminster club), Oregon, Boston, Chicago, Bangkok and Saudi Arabia.