Dustin Johnson resigns PGA Tour membership for LIV Golf: Former world No. 1 unsure about major status

Dustin Johnson became the latest player to officially resign from his membership on the PGA Tour on Tuesday. Johnson’s decision is more surprising than that made by others — Kevin Na, Louis Oosthuizen, Sergio Garcia, Charl Schwartzel and Branden Grace have all resigned as well — as the 37-year-old simply had more to lose as he was on the cusp of securing a lifetime membership on the PGA Tour with more than 20 wins while in the midst of his 15th season on tour.

“For right now, I resign my membership from the Tour. I am going to play here for now, and that’s the plan,” Johnson said Tuesday. “But what the consequences are going to be, I obviously can’t comment on how the Tour is going to handle them.”

Despite stepping away from the PGA Tour, Johnson has every intention on playing in the four major championships, echoing what Phil Mickelson said in his statement Monday. With his 2020 Masters victory, the American not only has a lifetime exemption into the year’s first major championship, but he is also exempt for the PGA Championship and Open Championship through 2025 as well as the U.S. Open through 2026.

“I can’t answer for the majors, but hopefully they’ll allow us to play,” said Johnson. “I am exempt for the majors, so I plan on playing there unless I hear otherwise.”

That would mean we could see Johnson on U.S. soil next week at The Country Club for the third major championship of the year, the 2022 U.S. Open.

However, it is unlikely that we see him at the Ryder Cup. He has represented the United States team five times in the Ryder Cup — plus four more in Presidents Cup — including last fall at Whistling Straits where he garnered a 5-0-0 record and became the first man from the U.S. to post a perfect record in a Ryder Cup since 1979.

“Hopefully, obviously, all things are subject to change,” Johnson said. “I would just have to agree with what Graeme [McDowell] said. Hopefully, at some point, it will change, and we will be able to participate; but if it doesn’t, it was another thing that I really had to think long and hard about. Ultimately, I decided to come do this and play out here. Like I said, I am excited about it. 

“Obviously, the Ryder Cup is unbelievable, and it’s something that has definitely meant a lot to me. I am proud to say I have played and represented my country. Hopefully, I’ll get a chance to do that again, but you know, I don’t make the rules.”