Dustin Johnson quits PGA Tour. What does that mean for RBC Heritage, the Masters?
South Carolina’s native son might not play in the state’s premier golf event for the foreseeable future.
Columbia’s Dustin Johnson, a Dutch Fork High School grad who played his collegiate golf at Coastal Carolina University, said on Tuesday that he’s resigned from the PGA Tour in favor of LIV Golf — a controversial super tour backed by Saudi Arabian money.
The move will make Johnson ineligible to be a part of the United States’ Ryder Cup team and unlikely to be allowed to participate in the RBC Heritage in Hilton Head, the only PGA Tour stop in his home state.
“All things are subject to change,” Johnson said Tuesday in a LIV Golf press conference published Tuesday by SkySports. “... Hopefully at some point it’ll change and we’ll be able to participate (in the Ryder Cup). If it doesn’t, it was something I really had to think long and hard about and ultimately I decided to come do this and play out here.”
The Saudi-backed tour has drawn particular ire in the golf world due to its sponsors’ human rights records — most notably the killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
The prevailing thought in golf circles is that players who join LIV Golf will be barred from competing on the PGA Tour. That would include the RBC Heritage at Hilton Head’s Harbour Town Golf Links — set for April 13-16, 2023 — which Johnson has played in on seven occasions and each of the last five years.
After his name was revealed in this week’s LIV Golf tournament field, RBC announced that it was cutting ties with Johnson and fellow RBC ambassador Graeme McDowell, who has also joined the Saudi-backed tour. Johnson was a regular at the Heritage because of that RBC sponsorship.
“As a result of the decisions made by professional golfers Dustin Johnson and Graeme McDowell to play the LIV Golf Invitational Series opener, RBC is terminating its sponsorship agreement with both players. We wish them well in their future endeavours,” the company said in a statement to ESPN.
It’s not altogether clear whether players who join LIV Golf will be able to play in the sport’s four major championships — the Masters, the PGA Championship, the Open Championship and the U.S. Open. Those participating in LIV’s first event in London this week — Johnson included — said Tuesday that their plan is to play in those tournaments, but that it remains to be seen how their status might be affected going forward.
Johnson’s win at the 2016 U.S. Open gives him a 10-year exemption into the tournament, while his 2020 Masters victory grant him a lifetime spot in that event and five-year exemptions into both the Open Championship and PGA Championship.
Johnson has been on the PGA Tour since 2008 and his 24 career titles rank fourth among active players behind only Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh and Phil Mickelson — who has drawn plenty of headlines for his own involvement with LIV Golf.
The new tour was started in the wake of player grumblings revolving around, among other things, prize money on the PGA Tour. That’s led to LIV offering massive paydays to those elite golfers who have chosen to compete.
Johnson, for example, is reportedly earning $125 million for his participation, per The Telegraph. Johnson’s $200 million career earnings include $74 million from PGA Tour winnings, according to Yahoo Sports.
“I’m excited about (LIV Golf),” Johnson said Tuesday. “Obviously the Ryder Cup is unbelievable and is something that has definitely meant a lot to me. Proud to say that I’ve played and represented my country and hopefully I get the chance to do that again. But I don’t make the rules.”
This story was originally published June 7, 2022 at 10:45 AM with the headline "Dustin Johnson quits PGA Tour. What does that mean for RBC Heritage, the Masters?."
