Dustin Johnson joined LIV Golf in 2022. Since 2023, he has participated in only one event on the DP World Tour, which was the 2025 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. But now, he is returning to a premier DP World Tour event featuring Rory McIlroy and other elite golfers. But his commitment to the $9 million 2026 Hero Dubai Desert Classic comes at a time when questions about his future have grown louder.

“Dustin Johnson joins the Hero Dubai Desert Classic 2026 lineup 💪 A week of world-class golf you won’t want to miss 😍,” wrote the Hero Dubai Desert Classic in a tweet, announcing his commitment.

DJ officially confirmed his participation in the star-studded event. “I’m really looking forward to playing the Hero Dubai Desert Classic for the first time,” said Johnson.

“I’ve heard great things about the event and Emirates Golf Club. When you look at past champions like Seve, Tiger and Rory, you know it’s a really prestigious tournament with incredible history. I’m excited to compete for the Dallah Trophy and be part of what is always a world-class field.”

Scheduled from January 22-25, 2026, the Hero Dubai Desert Classic will take place at the Emirates Golf Club. Johnson joins elite golfers, including Rory McIlroy, Tyrrell Hatton, Tommy Fleetwood, Viktor Hovland, Shane Lowry, and others. However, the 24x PGA Tour winner’s struggles have been widely reported in 2025.

From enjoying the World No. 1 spot once, he now ranks No. 631 on the OWGR. His major championship performances have been particularly disappointing. The best major performance Dustin Johnson has had since 2023 was a T10 finish at the 2023 US Open. In the remaining 11 majors since 2023, he missed the cut in six.

The 2x major winner missed the cut in three of the four majors he played in 2025. At the 2025 PGA Championship, he finished near the bottom of the leaderboard at 12-over par. And he was second-to-last in strokes gained putting. His last major round scores have totaled a staggering 27-over par across five events. This highlights a significant slump in his game.

It’s not just the majors, though; he has struggled on LIV Golf, too. Dustin Johnson was the individual champion at LIV in 2022. Then he moved down to No. 5 in 2023 before plummeting to No. 14 in 2024. Although he finished T5 in the season-opening event and won the second one at Las Vegas, his performance dropped towards the end of the season.

After a T7 at Singapore in May 2024, DJ didn’t have any top-10 finishes until the same event in 2025. However, his recent performances have helped him maintain the 14th position on LIV in 2025. After a T5 in Singapore, he scored a T7 in Mexico City, T10 in Virginia, T7 in Andalucía, and a solo 3rd in Indianapolis. Although his performance resurged towards the end of 2025, he is entering a field of golfers who have performed consistently throughout the season.

Rory McIlroy, for one, registered two wins on the PGA Tour and one on the DP World Tour. He also won the 2025 Masters to complete his career Grand Slam. Besides the wins, his 2025 PGA Tour season included 8 top-10 finishes and only a single missed cut at the RBC Canadian Open.

Viktor Hovland has also registered a win on the PGA Tour with the 2025 Valspar Championship title. He missed the cut only in three of the 18 events he played on the PGA Tour and another one on the DP World Tour. Tyrrell Hatton has also had a win in 2025 on the DP World Tour. He won the 2025 Dubai Desert Classic with a score of 15 under par.

And ultimately, it’s these consistent golfers that Dustin Johnson is joining amid a form decline. However, fans and golf analysts still can’t rule him out as a strong contender for victory at the 2026 Hero Desert Classic. If the past is the thing to look at, he has had an amazing career.

Thanks to his 24 PGA Tour victories, DJ enjoyed a top 100 OWGR rank from February 2009 to August 2023. Then his rank started declining as LIV Golf events don’t give OWGR points. But that may change now, per the recent statement from Scott O’Neil.

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OWGR status could save Dustin Johnson’s declining career

It will be the first time in the last six years that Dustin Johnson will not tee off at all four major events. He will miss The Open Championship and the PGA Championship, underlining how far his exemption status has slipped. He still has a lifetime Masters invite and one last U.S. Open start because of his 2016 victory. But beyond that, his future in major tournaments is uncertain.

However, Scott O’Neil’s recent comments can give Dustin Johnson some relief. LIV’s new CEO has been making significant changes to get the OWGR status after the league reapplied in 2025. From switching to a 72-hole format to adding more golfers from the Asian circuit, LIV is making significant strides.

Scott O’Neil said that there has been “quite a bit of back and forth” with OWGR chairman Trevor Immelman over ranking status. But he characterizes LIV’s chances of getting points before the 2026 season as a “puncher’s chance.”

O’Neil and Immelman have had a friendly relationship since they first met at the 2025 Masters. Thanks to their relationship and all the changes LIV made, O’Neil feels that they have a real chance of getting the eligible tour status.

All in all, Dustin Johnson’s return to a flagship DP World Tour stop adds an intriguing twist to his ongoing fight for momentum. A strong showing in Dubai could mark the start of a meaningful shift as he works to steady his career heading into 2026.