Dustin Johnson joins several high-profile players, including Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Justin Thomas and Brooks Koepka in opting against joining the proposed Saudi Golf League, spearheaded by Greg Norman
Sunday 20 February 2022 20:35, UK
Former world No 1 Dustin Johnson has committed his future to the PGA Tour, putting an end to speculation he could join a Saudi Arabian-backed super league.
The two-time major winner described the proposed breakaway competition as a "really good concept" ahead of the Saudi International, the flagship event on the Asian Tour, earlier in February.
However, Johnson has now joined several high-profile players, including Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Justin Thomas and Brooks Koepka in their opposition of the contentious Saudi plans, spearheaded by Greg Norman.
In a statement released by the PGA Tour, Johnson said: "Over the past several months, there has been a great deal of speculation about an alternative tour; much of which seems to have included me and my future in professional golf.
"I feel it is now time to put such speculation to rest. I am fully committed to the PGA Tour.
"I am grateful for the opportunity to play on the best tour in the world and for all it has provided me and my family.
"While there will always be areas where our Tour can improve and evolve, I am thankful for our leadership and the many sponsors who make the PGA Tour golf's premier tour."
Johnson made the announcement two days after he missed the cut in the Genesis Invitational - his second PGA Tour appearance of 2022.
He was among a number of leading golfers, along with fellow Americans Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau and Xander Schauffele to play at the Saudi International, now the flagship event on the Asian Tour.
Ahead of that event, Mickelson accused the PGA Tour of "obnoxious greed" and leading players to look towards other opportunities.
But in an excerpt from Alan Shipnuck's upcoming book, titled 'Phil: The Rip-Roaring (and Unauthorized!) Biography of Golf's Most Colorful Superstar', the 51-year-old claims the new league is an attempt at "sportswashing" by the Saudi regime.
Former PGA champion Rich Beem says Mickelson's latest comments about the Saudi Golf League are "confusing" and that he is going to lose support in the locker room and make enemies if he continues down the same path...
I found it really interesting what Phil Mickelson reportedly said, basically calling out Saudi Arabia and saying it's sports-washing, and then saying that I am really doing this in order to leverage what we can do better on the PGA Tour.
Why go about this in a completely roundabout way and make it so controversial? Why not rally the players, explain to every player how the media rights work on the PGA Tour and the other monies you can get from owning your own social media rights and rally together as a unit rather than going to Saudi Arabia and causing all this? It doesn't make sense to me.
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