Dustin Johnson, the 2020 Masters champion, shifted leagues in 2022 and joined forces with the Saudi- backed LIV Golf. However, the professional shift came with its own set of hurdles. Where LIV Golf has been able to conduct various successful tournaments across different venues with enormous prize money, it is yet to gain the approval of the OWGR.
On one end, LIV Golf, with its unconventional format, has added a fresh element to the game, but it has also affected the golfers who have participated in its tournaments. In light of the same, no matter how triumphant the recent events at Singapore, Adelaide, and Tulsa have been, it has prevented the LIV Stars from earning any points. Dustin Johnson is one of the paradigms of the consequences faced by the players due to their switch to LIV Golf.
Dustin Johnson slips one step further in the OWGR
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Despite following the footsteps of a successful LIV Golf 2022 season at Tulsa last week, not much has improved for DJ ranking-wise. The golf professional delivered some exceptional shots at Cedar Ridge Country Club and took home a whopping 4 million dollars. While the two-time major winner succeeded in winning the LIV Golf Tulsa 2023, the same cannot be said for his numbers on the world ranking leaderboard.
The Official World Golf Ranking holds great value for the players. They are necessary for qualifying for the four major tournaments. For now, the position on the world ranking list won’t hurt the 2020 green jacket holder, as the star is exempted from all major events till 2025. However, it must still feel disappointing to give your best at a tournament but not leave any footprint behind in the ranking.
Unfortunately, golf fans do not believe that is true. After the drop in Johnson’s rank from 81 to 82 position, fans majorly seemed to support the OWGR. Now, the only way for the golf icon to improve his ranking is through the 2023 PGA Championship starting this week.
Fans react to DJ’s drop in the OWGR
Alas! The exciting win at LIV Golf Tulsa brought with it a disappointing fall in the world ranking for the American golfer. One of the accounts on Twitter posted, “Dustin Johnson drops to 82nd in the OWGR following his win at LIV Tulsa. It’s time for change. The golf world needs an alternative method.” Yet, this tweet was not met with fans’ agreement. Most of them seemed to agree with the world ranking and believed it was accurate.
If DJ is going to play in Saudi marketing exhibition events then he cannot get ranking points.
Look at his last Masters performance. The OWGR is accurate.— SD (@therealsdillon) May 15, 2023
Congrats he won an exhibition match and got paid.
— popps (@Noles4life73) May 15, 2023
Others also mentioned how the LIV golfers made this decision for themselves when they switched sides. They also added that the golfers should try to live with it.
Lol, not really. LIV golfers knew what they were risking. Time to live with those decisions
— Ryan Chalfant (@rchalpu98) May 15, 2023
Things have changed and you lot changed them , you got what you wanted ,STOP CRYING and get on with what you started 😜😜😜
— Reginald Gates (@reginald_gates) May 15, 2023
They chose a recreational music league. Let them have fun, wear shorts and be cool.
— W. Nee (@WNee11) May 15, 2023
In addition to this, the reasons tweeted by many golf enthusiasts were the unorthodox format that LIV Golf follows. They strongly believed that if the Saudi League did not adapt to the changes according to the OWGR criteria, it can worsen the rankings of its golfers.
No it doesn’t. The tourney doesn’t qualify. Enough. 54 holes, limited fields, and shotgun starts continue to be the reason. LIV’s stubborn arrogance and bellyaching is nauseating. The fun weekend member guest like tourneys is what they signed up for.
— Charlie Cullen (@ccullen2727) May 15, 2023
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It’s time LIV adapts to the OWGR criteria . Otherwise DJ is going to drop further down…
— Christian Weinacht (@Navidad85) May 15, 2023
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What do you guys think of Dustin’s drop in the OWGR? Do you agree with the fellow fans’ reaction to it? Let us know in the comments below!
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