Johnson quits tour membership to play in new rival Saudi league
Two-time major winner Dustin Johnson has resigned his PGA Tour membership to participate in the new golf series backed by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund.
The first LIV Golf Invitational, which offers
$25 million in prize money, is taking place outside London starting Thursday.
Johnson said on Tuesday he “had to think long and hard“about leaving the PGA Tour, seemingly ending his hopes of competing in the Ryder Cup for the United States.
“Ultimately, I decided to come and do this,” Johnson said at Centurion Club. “I’m excited about this. Obviously the Ryder Cup is unbelievable and something that has meant a lot to me. … Hopefully
I’ll get a chance to do that again, but I don’t make the rules.”
Johnson, whose last victory was the Saudi International in 2021, is No. 13 in the world, the highest-ranked player in the field. He has held the No. 1 spot in the world longer than any player since Tiger Woods.
“I chose what is best for me and my family,” Johnson said, explaining his decision to join the Saudi venture fronted by Greg Norman.
Meanwhile, Johnson and Phil Mickelson are welcome to play the U.S. Open next week under a USGA decision announced Tuesday that puts the open nature of the championship over a player’s decision to play in the Saudi-funded rival league.
Mickelson and Johnson
are among a dozen players in the LIV Golf Invitational who are exempt for the U.S. Open on June 16-19 at The Country Club outside Boston. Among other U.S. Open players who signed up for the new league are Sergio Garcia, Louis Oosthuizen and Kevin Na.
Elsewhere: Woods said he won’t play in the U.S. Open. The 46-yearold said his body needs more time to get stronger for major championship golf but that he plans to play the British Open at St. Andrews next month, the final major of the year.
ETC.
Figure skating: No 15-year-old figure skaters will be allowed to compete at the 2026 Olympics following the controversy surrounding Russian national champion Kamila Valieva at this year’s Beijing Games. A new age limit for figure skaters at senior international events was passed Tuesday by the International Skating Union in a 110-16 vote that will raise the minimum age to 17 before the next Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. The limit will be phased in with 15-yearolds continuing to be allowed to compete next season, a minimum age of 16 in the 2023-24 season, rising to 17 the season after, which is the last before the Olympics. The change was coming even before figure skating at the Beijing Olympics was dominated by the emotional stress put on the 15-year-old Valieva. She was the favorite to take individual gold, after helping the Russians win the team title, before her positive doping test from December was belatedly revealed during the Olympics.
Horse racing: After winning the Peter Pan Stakes by 10 lengths, We the People was installed as the 2-1 favorite for Saturday’s Grade 1 Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park. Kentucky Derby winner Rich Strike, who did not run in the Preakness on May 21, is the third choice at 7-2 with Wood Memorial winner Mo Donegal the second choice at 5-2 in the morning line for the eight-horse field. After We the People, who has won three of four career races, Mo Donegal and Rich Strike, the rest of the field has Creative Minister (6-1), Nest (8-1), Barber Road (10-1), Golden Glider (20-1) and Skippylongstocking (20-1).
Soccer: Harry Kane’s late penalty earned England a 1-1 draw in Germany in their Nations League game. Lorenzo Pellegrini continued his impressive scoring form to help Italy beat Hungary 2-1 in Cesena. Turkey romped to a 6-0 win in Lithuania and Luxembourg enjoyed a
1-0 win in the Faeroe Islands.