Who is Dustin Johnson? 

Dustin Hunter Johnson, also known as DJ, is an American professional golfer who currently plays on LIV Golf. One of the most prominent golfers of current times, Johnson picked up the sport at a very young age. Among his many accomplishments are two major victories and appearances for the US national team. Let's dive in to learn about Johnson's family, career wins, earnings, and more!

Dustin Johnson’s Early Life 

Dustin Johnson was born on June 22, 1984, in Columbia, South Carolina, to Scott Johnson and Kandee Nee Whisnant. He was the eldest of three children and has two siblings, Austin and Laurie. His father was a professional golfer and ran a pro shop. Johnson's grandfather, Art Whisnant, was an All-ACC basketball player in South Carolina. As a result, the golfer was athletic from a very young age.

It is no surprise that his father introduced him to the game of golf at the tender age of six. He soon started showing his golfing talent and, in the seventh grade, became a member of the Irmo High School varsity team.

The golfer's swing is mostly self-learned. He had grown up witnessing the swings of other players at the Weed Hill Driving Range in Columbia. His father was a Club pro and would take him along to the range. Johnson's brother, Austin, is his longtime caddie and was on the bag during his 2020 Masters win.

The young Dustin's golfing career began to show promise as he set a record at the Coldstream Country Club in Irmo and Golden Hills Golf & Country Club for shooting a pair of 64 on two consecutive days.

Johnson later transferred to Dutch Fork High School, and after graduating, he enrolled at Coastal Carolina University to pursue sports management. But his eyes were set on something different—the PGA Tour. During his university days, Johnson trained under Allen Terrell, who guided the then-young talent toward achieving prestigious titles such as the Monroe Invitational, the Northeast Amateur and All-Big South honors at the Big South Conference Championship in his freshman year.

Dustin Johnson’s Wife and Children

The LIV Golfer met his now wife, Paulina Gretzky, daughter of the legendary NHL star Wayne Gretzky and Janet Jones, in 2013. The two started dating just before the 2013 PGA Tour season and by August of that year, Johnson popped the question to Gretzky, and the couple got engaged.

Then, in 2015, they welcomed their first child, Tatum Gretzky Johnson, on January 19. In the summer of 2017, the family of three became four with their second son, River Jones Johnson, on June 14th. The two finally decided to tie the knot on April 23, 2022. Paulina Gretzky never shied away from showing her love and support for her golf husband, she frequently posts about the couple on her Instagram and also took up the role of his caddie at the Master Par 3 contest in 2023.

Dustin Johnson’s Net Worth 2024 

According to Forbes, Johnson has an estimated net worth of $107 million. The American has earned an estimated $102 million from prize winnings from tournaments and an additional $ million through endorsements. His $125 million move to LIV has also greatly boosted his earnings. The LIV golfer also made it to the 2023 edition of Forbes's The World's Highest-Paid Athletes and was given the sixth spot on the list.

Dustin Johnson’s Amateur Career 

Dustin Johnson played collegiate golf at Coastal Carolina University. His grandmother, Carole Jones, had called up the institute's coach, Allen Terrell, to explain how badly DJ wished to pursue golf.

As an amateur golfer, Johnson won the Monroe Invitational and the Northeast Amateur in 2007. He was also part of the victorious Walker Cup and Palmer Cup teams in 2007.

Dustin Johnson’s Pro career

Dustin Johnson turned pro in 2007. He went on to earn his PGA Tour card by tying for 14th place at the 2007 qualifying school. In October of 2008, he won his first PGAT title at the Turning Stone Resort Championship in upstate New York.

Since his debut, Johnson has gone on to script several professional victories. He became No. 1 on the Official World Golf Rankings for the first time ever after winning the Genesis Open in February of 2017. With that win, he also became the only golfer besides Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus to claim a title in each of their first seasons.

Before defecting to LIV, the golfer won 24 titles on the PGA Tour, including two major wins. He also claimed nine wins on the DP World Tour. Johnson is the first player to win each of the four World Golf Championship events. He has won it six times, and only Tiger Woods has more wins than him.

After joining the Saudi-backed league, Johnson brought home his first LIV silverware at the 2022 LIV Golf Invitational in Boston, and he went on to become the season-long Individual Champion of that year. The following year, he added another title to his winning list after defeating Cameron Smith at the 2023 LIV Golf Tulsa. His latest win came on the Vegas greens, as the 4Aces skipper won the title of Individual Champion at 2024 LIV Golf Las Vegas after carding a total of 12 under 198 at Las Vegas Country Club.

Dustin Johnson’s Partnerships and Endorsements

Since joining LIV Golf, DJ has seen exponential growth in his net worth, mostly due to his on-field earnings but his off-field earnings, which included various partnerships and brand endorsements, have been a major contributor as well. Many big brands, including BodyArmor, Hublot, NetJets, Perfect Practice, and TaylorMade have signed Johnson. The Royal Bank of Canada also sponsors the 39-year-old golfer. In February of 2023, Johnson and Adidas mutually ended their long-term partnership.

Dustin Johnson’s Move to LIV Golf

In May 2022, it was announced that Johnson would be competing at the LIV Golf Invitational Series from June 9–11. Days later, he resigned from the PGA Tour and joined LIV for a reported sum of $125 million.

In the Saudi-backed LIV league, Johnson captains the 4Aces GC team. The golfer won his first individual LIV tournament in Boston on September 5, 2022. He got his second win at LIV Tulsa in May of 2023. DJ ended his eight-month-long winless streak with a win at 2024 LIV Golf Las Vegas.

Dustin Johnson’s Career stats

The American golfer turned pro in 2007 and earned his PGA Tour in 2008. He has played in 311 PGA Tour events and secured 24 wins on the American circuit. Out of the 311 events in which Johnson participated, he made the cut for 254 of the events. DJ has also been the runner-up 16 times and has 9 third-place finishes. Looking at his top-five finishes, the number comes up to 70 and McIlroy has 116 top-10 finishes.

Johnson has made five appearances (2010, 2012, 2016, 2018, and 2020) at the Ryder as a part of Team USA.

Dustin Johnson’s Records

The American golfer has won two majors so far: the 2016 US Open and the 2020 Masters Tournament. The 2016 US Open at Oakmont Country Club was his first win in 29 major appearances. During that tournament, the golfer was rewarded with a one-shot penalty, which came under scrutiny from many players, including Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlroy, and Rickie Fowler.

With his 72-hole scoring total of 268 at Augusta National, Johnson broke the Masters record of 270. Tiger Woods set the record in 1997 and Jordan Spieth tied it in 2015. His tally of four bogeys was also the fewest in tournament history.

DJ has been ranked as the world no. 1 on the OWGR for 64 consecutive weeks and the number 1 spot was held by him for more than 130 weeks. Over his illustrious golf career, Johnson has been able to showcase his golfing prowess all around the world and has won at least one worldwide event each year during the span of 2008–13 and 2015–2021.

Upon joining the breakaway league in 2022, Johnson also became the only player to score points in all seven regular-season LIV Golf events that year. The two-time major champion also became the fifth American in the history of the Ryder Cup to win all five matches in a single Ryder Cup.

Dustin Johnson’s National team appearances

Johnson was part of the USA's Ryder Cup team five times in his career, including the victorious squads of 2016 and 2021. In 2021, Team USA beat defending champion Europe by 19-0 at Whistling Straits, with Johnson going 5-0-0. He further won the inaugural Nicklaus-Jacklin Award for his contribution.

Johnson was also part of the victorious Presidents Cup teams of 2011, 2015, 2017, and 2019.

Dustin Johnson’s Charity and Foundation

The Dustin Johnson Foundation was established in 2010 with the goal of supporting youth initiatives while also promoting and supporting youth and college golf programs. The foundation is set to host the 2021 edition of the DJ World Junior Golf Championship, where all funds raised will go towards providing scholarships and equipment to youth in need.

Johnson had also competed in multiple charity golf exhibition games, with the most recent one being in May 2020, when he joined forces with a fellow pro, Rory McIlroy, to raise funds for coronavirus relief.

Dustin Johnson’s Social Media Accounts

Rory McIlroy’s Social Media Accounts