Dustin Johnson. He was one of the first players to go to LIV Golf in 2022, and though he has won there three times, his world ranking has spiraled downwards to 884. He also hasn’t won on the Saudi circuit this year. So as he returns to Oakmont Country Club after nine years, a win is on his mind. However, it is also the toughest course he has ever played.

And so, three years after stunning the golf world by leaving the PGA Tour for LIV Golf, Dustin Johnson finds himself at a career crossroads. Once a dominant force with two major titles and the top spot in the world rankings, Johnson has steadily faded from contention on golf’s biggest stages, culminating in a humbling stretch of missed cuts and early exits. As he prepares for the 2025 U.S. Open at historic Oakmont Country Club, Johnson spoke candidly about his current outlook.

He was asked at the U.S. Open Championship Press Conference: “After switching tours, when you only get four opportunities to get back out here, does it put any more pressure on you for you going against the top guys or feeling like this is your opportunity?” He responded:

“No, not really. It’s still a major. It’s still the same amount of pressure no matter where you’re playing. Yeah, it’s a championship. I’m looking forward to playing in it this week and hopefully can contend.” However, his optimism has been difficult to justify based on recent form. Johnson’s 2025 major season so far includes a missed cut at the Masters—his second straight at Augusta—and a brutal 12-over showing at the PGA Championship, where he finished among the bottom of the field. Since joining LIV in 2022, Johnson has cracked the top 30 in a major just once in 10 starts.

While other LIV stars like Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau have found success in majors, Johnson’s major mojo has disappeared. And as LIV’s 4Aces GC captain continues to struggle to stay relevant on golf’s toughest tests, some wonder if the reduced competitive rhythm and limited reps against top-tier fields are catching up with him. That concern seemed to materialize in dramatic fashion at Quail Hollow, where Johnson’s game unraveled on one of golf’s biggest stages.

Dustin Johnson hit a new low at the PGA Championship!

The 2025 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow marked a stark low point for Dustin Johnson. Playing on a special invite from the PGA of America, the former major champ looked far from his old self. A disastrous 7-over 78 set the tone, and a 5-over 76 sealed a missed cut by a wide margin.

It was Johnson’s fifth missed weekend in his last seven major appearances—a sharp contrast to the player who once finished in the top 10 of seven straight majors. More concerning was the lack of visible progress. At Augusta, just a month earlier, Johnson also missed the cut despite claiming his game was “close” and that he just needed to “clean up the misses.”

At Quail Hollow, though, there was no hiding. His short game faltered, his ball-striking lacked conviction, and the confidence that once made him so formidable seemed absent. For Johnson, once the face of LIV Golf’s bold ambition, the major stage has become a mirror reflecting an uncomfortable truth: form, and perhaps opportunity, are slipping away.

As Dustin Johnson returns to Oakmont—a venue synonymous with U.S. Open tradition—his quiet demeanor and measured words conceal the growing questions around his post-PGA Tour trajectory. While he insists that pressure hasn’t changed, it’s clear that expectations have. His position in the game, especially in majors, has shifted from favorite to underdog. Whether this week marks a turning point or another step down remains to be seen. But as the 2025 U.S. Open unfolds, one thing is certain: Dustin Johnson is no longer the powerhouse he once was, and he knows it is time to prove himself.  What do you think?