Dustin Johnson receives an exclusive invitation he doesn't deserve

Dustin Johnson. Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Dustin Johnson receives an exclusive invitation he doesn't deserve

By Jack Dougherty | Last updated May 5, 2026 11:00 AM ET

Dustin Johnson is no longer a relevant professional golfer, but that didn't stop the PGA of America from offering him an unmerited gift based on his name alone. Despite failing to qualify for the 2026 PGA Championship on his own, Johnson received a special invite to compete in the second major of the season.

Unless you follow LIV Golf on a weekly basis, you probably haven't heard much from Johnson in recent years. That's because the 41-year-old's game has fallen off a cliff. Johnson has six missed cuts and only one finish better than T31 in his last 10 major championship starts.

It hasn't been much better on LIV, either. In six starts on the rival tour this season, Johnson has finished T17, T31, T10, T24, T17 and T17. He ranks 42nd on LIV this year in greens in regulation percentage (70.1 percent) and 41st in driving accuracy (56.9 percent).

Remember, this is a condensed league with only 57 players in the field every week. Most of them are past their prime or not talented enough to make it on the PGA Tour, and Johnson still can't sniff contention in these weak fields.

Major championships should feature the best and most deserving golfers in the world, and Johnson doesn't qualify as either.

It's time to move on from Dustin Johnson

DJ has qualified for his 69th consecutive major after receiving a special invite to Aronimink for the PGA Championship pic.twitter.com/ugwvdODiHn
— Matt Vincenzi (@MattVincenziPGA) May 5, 2026

Johnson is one of the greatest golfers of the 21st century and a future Hall of Famer. He won 22 PGA Tour events in his career, including at least one victory in 14 straight years from 2008-21. He also won two major championships and competed in the Ryder Cup five times.

As dominant as Johnson was in his prime, those accomplishments fizzled out in 2022. The former World No. 1 knew his game was deteriorating when he chose to join LIV Golf four years ago. His decision to leave the PGA Tour signaled his retirement from competitive professional golf.

Johnson will be able to play in the Masters for as long as he wants, but he earned that right when he won the green jacket in 2020. He'll also be able to compete in the 2026 U.S. Open thanks to his win at Oakmont Country Club in 2016. His exemptions for the PGA Championship and Open Championship, though, have run dry. The American can still automatically qualify for those tournaments with his play. If he doesn't, he shouldn't receive special treatment just because he was the best player in the world a decade ago.

Major championship golf doesn't need Johnson anymore. The sooner these entities realize that, the sooner they'll be able to reward more deserving players instead.

Jack Dougherty

Jack Dougherty has been writing professionally since 2015, contributing to publications such as GoPSUSports. com, Centre Daily Times, Associated Press, and Sportscasting. com

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