"I love Dustin Johnson but..." PGA Tour veteran makes LIV Golf admission
Dustin Johnson's move to LIV shook the world of golf in 2022, and one PGA Tour member thinks it has denied him the legacy he deserves.
While there has been no shortage of LIV Golf critics since its inception in 2022, one of the typically more measured members of the PGA Tour has recently given a scathing analysis of the breakaway league's impact on the world of men's golf.
When Dustin Johnson announced he would be joining the LIV Golf League, he did so as one of the best players in the world.
While his departure was undoubtedly one of the most shocking, Johnson has since refrained from involving himself in the ongoing competitive name-calling that a number of other players have found themselves embroiled in.
Despite his typical level of nonchalance, Johnson has still managed to catch some strays from the PGA Tour parapet, and most recently, PGA Tour board member Webb Simpson has sighted Johnson's departure as having denied him the legacy he deserves as well as altering the way young golfers approach their careers.
Speaking to Golfweek, Simpson was quick to confirm Johnson was still a great guy.
However, he couldn't help but feel that his decision to leave the PGA Tour would affect his legacy in the game.
He said:
Since its inception, one of LIV's greatest pulling powers has been the lucrative financial gains on offer, as well as a shortened schedule that minimises the number of tournaments each player has to commit to each year.
As a result of both of these factors, numerous stars have traded allegiances, including, most recently, Jon Rahm.
With Rahm's singing bonus rumoured to be in the region of £450m, it's hardly difficult to understand why so many players have flocked to the Saudi-backed league; however, Simpson went on to highlight how the huge sums of money on offer have altered how younger players view the game.
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He added:
Johnson received a rumoured $150m when he joined LIV in 2022, but since then, there has also been an uptick in the number of young amateur golfers aligning themselves with LIV, including the talented junior Caleb Surratt.
Surratt is a former junior world number one and has represented his country in the Junior Ryder Cup.
He was also a member of the 2023 Walker Cup team and now looks nailed on to join Rahm's yet-to-be-named team for the 2024 season.
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Johnny joined GolfMagic as Reviews Editor in 2023 having worked for Sports Impact for two years as Head of Social Media, working alongside prominent golf brands including Galvin Green, Motocaddy and Wilson.
