In a bid to actualise his dream of playing in the LIV Golf Invitational, two-time major winner Dustin Johnson has resigned from the PGA Tour, being the second player to do so after Kevin Na. The LIV Golf Invitational has been propped to be more lucrative than the PGA Tour, with a total prize money of $255m for all eight events. But the decision to resign was not an easy one for Johnson to make.
Pulling out of the PGA Tour means he may no longer play in future Ryder Cup events, as well as a lot of other competitions tied to the PGA. However, he would play at this year’s US Open, as he had already qualified earlier. But he may not play in future events.
Still, the former world number one does not seem to regret his decision to resign. Instead, he said he seemed quite satisfied with his resolve. He said: “I don’t want to play for the rest of my life. This gives me an opportunity to do what I want to do.” But he also admitted that he did not know what the future held for him: “Obviously, at this time, it’s hard to speak on what the consequences will be, but for right now, I’ve resigned my membership from the PGA Tour. I’m going to play here for now, and that’s the plan.
“What the consequences are going to be? I can’t comment on how the tour is going to handle it.”
But he is a bit optimistic that a resolution would be reached in the future so that players in the Saudi-backed league would be allowed to play in the PGA Tour. For now, the PGA has not said anything about sanctions or consequences that the players might face. Although Johnson resigned, not every player who is playing at the LIV Golf Invitational this week resigned. So they may face retributive actions from the PGA. But it remains to be seen.
In related news, 51-year-old Phil Mickelson has been announced as one of the players who would play in the LIV event this week. Mickelson was one of the first players to make his position known on the subject of a Saudi-backed league, and he was in full support of it.
Written by: Leon Osamor
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