Dustin Johnson brushed of criticism at last week’s PGA Championship, after claiming players who joined LIV Golf were ‘taking a risk’ during the production of season two of Netflix’s Full Swing documentary.
Johnson returned for the season season of the fly-on-the-wall golf documentary covering the PGA Tour, despite his loyalties with LIV. The former world No. 1 had featured in the very first season a year earlier, with his decision to make the Saudi switch taking place partway through filming.
Starring once more this time around, Johnson raised eyebrows with critics of the breakaway league when claiming that those who opted to sign on the dotted line with the LIV setup had taken a giant leap in leaving the PGA Tour.
Appearing on the show, the American was quizzed on whether he felt those who had remain with the Tour should be compensated for missing out on lucrative offers with the Saudi setup, with the rival circuits expected to unite. “No, I don’t,” the two-time major winner replied.
“The guys that went to LIV, we took a lot of criticism. We’re the ones that took the risk for everything. So why should they be compensated? Obviously, if this merger comes along, there’s gonna be a lot of guys who wish they would’ve signed.”
Johnson was questioned on his comments at Valhalla Golf Club last week, as competed in the second major championship of the campaign. Asked about the backlash to his comments, the 4Aces captain shrugged his shoulders according to Golfweek, commenting: “I didn’t see it. Just said what I thought.”
Dustin Johnson returned to the PGA Championship
Having announced himself as LIV’s most in-form man in the early stages of the Saudi-backed series’ existence, the 2022 individual champion has struggled to find his best golf in recent months. He endured a dismal return to Augusta National last month, missing the Masters cut by a whopping seven shots.
And it appeared he was set to follow the same fate in Kentucky last week, after carding a two-over-par 73 in round one. He just about managed to squeeze himself into the weekend though shooting a three-under 68 last Friday to find himself just on the right side of the cut line.
A steady level-par 71 then followed in round three, before he saved his best golf for the final 18 holes of the week. Johnson carded a superb, bogey-free five-under-par 66 on championship Sunday to ensure he finished in a tie for 43rd at six-under for the week.
The LIV star will now have two weeks off before he returns to action on June 6 when the breakaway circuit heads to Houston. Johnson will then return to the major arena one week later, with the third flagship event of the season in the U.S. Open taking place at Pinehurst No. 2.
