Dustin Johnson will continue to play on the LIV Golf tour. Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Dustin Johnson descends deeper into irrelevance with LIV Golf decision

By Jack Dougherty | Last updated Jan 15, 2026 8:22 AM ET

Days after Brooks Koepka announced he'll be returning to the PGA Tour, LIV Golf announced it has signed two-time major champion Dustin Johnson to a multiyear extension. The 41-year-old's decision confirms that he's content with his irrelevance in professional golf.

"I'm obviously very excited about this year," Johnson told reporters Tuesday in Palm Beach, Fla., per ESPN. "I think we're going to a couple new venues, and that's exciting. Obviously, anytime we're going to a new place, especially all the things I'm hearing about South Africa, it's supposed to be amazing. We've got a ton of fans."

That might be true worldwide, but the American audience is much more interested in watching the PGA Tour than LIV Golf. Through seven head-to-head Sundays last season, the PGA Tour averaged 3.1 million viewers on CBS/NBC, while LIV Golf averaged only 175,000 viewers on FOX/FS1/FS2, per Golf.com.

Most golf fans saw Johnson only four times in 2025, and there wasn't much to see. He missed the cut at the Masters, PGA Championship and U.S. Open and finished T23 at the Open Championship. The former world No. 1 has missed the cut in six of his past nine major championship starts, and there isn't much hope for him in the majors.

Inbox: LIV Golf and 4Aces announce a Dustin Johnson extension pic.twitter.com/JNJ4QPnQJi
— Yianni Kourakis (@WPBF_Yianni) January 14, 2026

Johnson needed a special invitation to play in the 2025 PGA Championship and would need another in 2026. His exemption for The Open has expired, and his U.S. Open exemption runs through 2026. He’s exempt into the Masters for life, but starting in 2027 would need to qualify or receive invitations for the other three majors.

With Johnson's major championship future in doubt, his decision to sign a contract extension with LIV Golf all but guarantees he won't be able to play his way into the majors. LIV players still can't receive Official World Golf Ranking points for tournament finishes, so they have minimal pathways to qualify for majors on their own. Johnson is ranked No. 636 in the OWGR.

Considering Johnson has multiple major championship trophies in his house and millions of dollars in his bank account, he's perfectly fine accepting that his time competing for majors has passed. Sailing off into the sunset while getting to travel the globe and compete on a stress-free tour apparently is exactly what he wants at this point in his career.

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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