Back in April, as Dustin Johnson made double bogey on 18 after a single on 17 in the second round at Augusta, he knew he had missed the cut once again. One shot was all it took for him to fall out of contention at the Masters. Then came the PGA Championship. He again missed the cut by a mile with 12-over. It was his fifth missed cut in his last seven outings. His words from December echoed where he promised how “Competition, winning, it’s still what drives me.” The reality, however, has been strikingly contrasting.

When he moved to LIV, it was obvious that his world ranking would fall. But as it stands now, with multiple subpar outings in the Majors, it has plummeted to 884 according to OWGR. At Data Golf, he stands at 173. His former coach, Butch Harmon, through 2010 to 2017, outrightly opined “I’m not sure that he’s 100 per cent committed to playing anymore. You know, he got paid a lot of money to go over there.” But Johnson’s outings at LIV are also not turning fruitful for him, not yet.

In LIV Golf, which he chose for a “Pretty simple” reason that “For me, it was playing less, making more money,” he is stuck in the Open Zone at the 27th rank, where his team, 4Aces GC, might trade or release him by the end of the year, per the league rules. His best performance there this season came in Singapore, but that too was a tie for the fifth position. And although he had previously stated how he had at least five more years in his tank to be competitive and even aim for a third Major title in PGA Tour, he has now rolled out his retirement paperwork as he enters the US Open, trying to play with a game that has been “Really close” per his belief.

Dustin Johnson recently dropped a bombshell during an interview at Oakmont, hours before the US Open. NUCLR GOLF shared on X what Johnson told AP News, “I think I’ve got another six years in me. I can grind for another six years. And then I’m going fishing… (I will grind) Because I want to get back. Because I know I’ve still got it.”

This comes from a player who once accumulated consecutive 91 weeks, per Golf Week, at World No. 1 and then some more to be one of the only five golfers to boast that standing for over 100 weeks, per AP News. He claimed 24 PGA Tour victories, including two majors, already having written a Hall of Fame-esque career. However, those glory days now seem like ancient history.

Currently, Johnson sits 27th in LIV Golf standings after eight events this season. He’s managed just three top-10 finishes. More tellingly, he hasn’t won anywhere since February 2024 at the LIV Las Vegas event. Yet, the soon-to-be 41-years-old still believes in his abilities. Unfortunately, recent results suggest otherwise.

DJ missed the cut at both the 2025 Masters (74-73, +3) and the PGA Championship (78-76, +12). He’s now missed cuts in five of his last seven major championships. Meanwhile, his significant exemptions are running out—two years remaining from his 2016 U.S. Open victory, with next month marking his final automatic British Open entry. Clearly, this outing is very different than his last outing at Oakmont. In 2016, he won, and that too beautifully. But not as easily.

Imagine not knowing your score because the USGA was trying to decide whether to penalize you for a ball that moved on the fifth green of the final round at Oakmont. Jarring, right? His last 7 holes, Johnson played on, very casually, and not giving it another thought. The result was that he won by three strokes after he was assessed one penalty shot in scoring. Time and again, Johnson has shown mental resilience. So, it’s not really doubtful that he’ll be doing the same for the next 6 years. Grinding, you see!

In 2010, Dustin was knocked out of a playoff at Whistling Straits in the PGA Championship for setting his 4-iron into sand where spectators had been sitting. That was deemed to be a bunker. Then, at the 2015 US Open at Chambers Bay, he had a 12-foot eagle putt to win, only for it to slide some 4 feet by on a green that had hardly any grass. He lost that major by 1 stroke to Jordan Spieth. But what after those 6 years?

Will DJ play on the Seniors Tour? That’s dicey. “I’ve always said if I’m playing the Champions tour, something really, really went wrong. But with me, there’s always that chance,” he shared. However, understanding DJ’s decline requires examining the root cause of Johnson’s struggles.

How LIV Golf has affected Dustin Johnson’s competitive edge

This dramatic shift traces back to a pivotal decision three years ago. Johnson became LIV Golf’s biggest signing in June 2022. Initially, the move appeared successful. He won once in each of his first three LIV seasons while his team, 4Aces GC, captured multiple titles. However, the competitive rhythm has fundamentally changed.

LIV’s 54-hole format and smaller fields provide fewer high-pressure situations compared to the weekly PGA Tour grind. This shift seems to have dulled Johnson’s sharpness for major championships. His recent admission that majors now feel like his only opportunity to face top competition highlights this isolation from elite-level golf. The statistics reveal the extent of his decline.

Johnson still gains strokes off the tee (+0.40 per round, 12th on LIV). Nevertheless, his approach play has deteriorated significantly. His putting has become a notable weakness. Overall, his tee-to-green performance has dropped to just +0.03 strokes gained—a massive regression from his 2020 prime when he averaged +1.63.

Compare this decline to other LIV players. Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau have consistently demonstrated their competitiveness in major championships. As Harmon stated, “But I’m not sure (Johnson’s) competitive drive is the same it used to be. Brooks and Bryson still have that great competitive drive. Jon Rahm has gone down in the world rankings but he’s still [competitive].”

Johnson, conversely, has faded from contention entirely. His optimism about still having competitive fire becomes increasingly complex to justify when measured against his recent major performances. The golf community has taken notice of this decline.

PGA Tour loyalists frequently mention missing Johnson most among LIV defectors. Adam Scott recently recalled watching Johnson’s effortless power at Riviera. “Just the freedom he played with and the freedom of the swing and athleticism,” Scott remembered. Those magical moments now exist only in memory but Johnson continues believing he can recreate that magic. Time, however, works against him. His six-year timeline acknowledges this reality while maintaining a sense of hope.

Whether Johnson can truly “get back” to contention or if LIV Golf has permanently altered his trajectory remains the most compelling question in golf. Either way, his fishing plans suggest he’s already prepared for life after competitive golf.

What do you think—can Johnson rediscover his championship form, or has his move to LIV Golf sealed his competitive fate?