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LIV Golf and the PGA Tour will collide this 12 months for the primary time in two weeks on the Masters, one among 4 occasions the place all elite golfers come collectively for the reason that trade fractured when LIV began raiding the PGA Tour.
And though Dustin Johnson clearly views the Masters as a particular event, simply because he took the generational cash supplied by Saudi Arabia to affix LIV, doesn’t imply he doesn’t see these golfers who stay on the PGA Tour.
“Residing down in Jupiter, Florida, I believe half the world a golf lives right here,” Johnson stated Wednesday on a Zoom name. “So I see the fellows on a regular basis.”
Johnson was sitting in a golf cart when he spoke about his sport, the Masters and the subsequent LIV occasion, April 5-7, at Trump Nationwide Doral. Just like the 12 different LIV golfers within the Masters, he’s hoping to peak the week he arrives at Augusta Nationwide.
The previous world No. 1 (he has held the spot for 135 weeks, third most in historical past) had one among his worst years on the subject of majors in 2023. Johnson’s finest end was T10 on the U.S. Open. In any other case, he tied for forty eighth on the Masters, tied for fifty fifth on the PGA Championship and missed the minimize on the British Open.
Johnson’s rating (8 over) and end final 12 months at Augusta was the worst of his profession, a part of the rationale the 39-year-old is ramping up his work this 12 months.
“Simply wasn’t happy with my outcomes,” Johnson stated. “Placing within the effort, I believe is the largest factor. I simply wasn’t pleased with the way in which I performed.”
Simply how a lot that’s paying off will probably be decided, though he does have one LIV victory on the season, profitable the occasion in Las Vegas in February.
Johnson’s lone Masters victory, and one among his two main championships, was when he destroyed Augusta Nationwide in 2020, when the occasion was moved to the autumn due to COVID. Johnson shot a report 20-under. The bottom Masters rating when the azaleas are in bloom is 18-under held by Jordan Spieth (2015) and Tiger Woods (1997).
That additionally marks Johnson’s final win on the PGA Tour – he joined LIV 21 months in the past. Johnson was requested if his sport is approaching that degree as we speak.
“I really feel like the sport is trending in that course,” he stated. “Am I precisely there? I believe it’d be exhausting to get again to nearly as good as I performed that week. However, am I taking part in adequate now the place I can have every week like that? Completely.”
Johnson nonetheless “seems again” at 2017, when throughout the peak of his profession a freak damage wherein he injured his decrease again throughout a fall at his rental house the day earlier than the Masters began compelled him to withdraw.
Johnson had received his final three begins that 12 months coming into the Masters.
“I’d have two Inexperienced Jackets,” Johnson stated when requested what might have been.
Johnson is one among 12 LIV golfers who proceed to stay exempt for the Masters and one among six exempt for all majors.
A thirteenth LIV golfer was added to the Masters discipline this 12 months when Joaquin Niemann was invited after taking part in occasions in Australia and Dubai.
As a substitute of complaining about LIV golfers getting shafted on this planet rankings, Niemann did one thing about it and performed with the intention of incomes that invitation. He received the Australian Open was T4 on the Dubai Desert Basic and received the invite he deserved.
“He’s performed occasions to attempt to get his world rating up aside from LIV occasions,” Johnson stated. “He’s accomplished all the proper issues. And he’s performed properly on these occasions.”
All 13 LIV golfers headed to the Masters will probably be tuning up their sport on the Blue Monster subsequent weekend.
“It’s an enormous week for us,” Johnson stated. “You’re gonna see loads of guys on the market grinding and dealing exhausting particularly the fellows that are taking part in the subsequent week at Augusta.”
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