Dustin Johnson is famous for his unexcitable demeanour but even by the American’s laconic standards his indifference to winning more than £27million in the first seven LIV Golf events is extraordinary. “I’ve done ok, but I thought I’d have won more, to be honest,” he said.
Johnson has already amassed more on-course earnings in a single year than any other golfer in history and with his income from the PGA Tour factored in (before he was banned) he has the opportunity here at the Saudi-funded team championship to crash through the £30million mark.
If he and his “4 Aces” colleagues prevail in Sunday’s final, the 32-year-old will pick up another £3.5million and seeing as this will be only Johnson’s 19th event of 2022 it would mean an average of roughly £1.6million every time he teed it up this year, which is what he picked up for lifting his first major title at the 2016 US Open.
It is a staggering return for anyone (including Rory McIlroy, who has collected more than £20million this year, but from 21 starts), but Johnson, who signed with LIV on a £125million four-year-deal, remains non-plussed. “I’m actually a little under where I thought I would be – I didn’t quite reach my goal,” Johnson said. “But you know, I’m happy enough, I guess.”
At least his colleagues are appropriately impressed. “Quite a few of us have struggled in this inaugural season, because of all the outside noise and because we are maybe not quite fully golf sharp due to the schedule” Graeme McDowell told Telegraph Sport.
“But Dustin has that perfect temperament and has managed to block it all out, keep that competitive edge and play some incredible golf in the circumstances. It could well be some of the best golf in his career.”
Of course, there is a paradox. Because there are no rankings points available at LIV events, Johnson, who was world No 1 just 16th months ago, has fallen to 30th in the world. “Whatever side of the fence you are on, Dustin Johnson not being in the world’s top 20 is daft,” Ian Poulter said.
For his part, Johnson appears unconcerned. His 2020 Masters success gives him exemptions to the majors through 2025 and then he could retire. Certainly there are no misgivings with his life choice. “Yeah, we’ve been talking about this and I really regret my decision,” he said with rich sarcasm. “It’s just so terrible.”
As top seeds, Johnson’s team enjoyed a bye into the semi-finals, meaning that he, Talor Gooch, Pat Perez and Patrick Reed are guaranteed £650,000 even if they lose. Poulter’s ‘Majesticks’ – also featuring Lee Westwood, Henrik Stenson and Sam Horsfield – were extremely dominant in despatching Kevin Na’s ‘Ironheads 3-0’ on Friday. If they can advance to Sunday’s four-team final they will be assured of £830,000
So plenty on the line and, naturally, no small measure of controversy and ill-feeling. A 9/11 victims’ families group bought space on local TV channels to broadcast an advertisement slamming Donald Trump, the former President, for hosting this Saudi-financed bonanza at his Doral course and in the roads leading up to the sprawling resort, protestors were parading with placards.
Trump appeared in Thursday’s pro-am once again and praised the LIV organisers and criticised the PGA Tour. He also used the moment to make the shameless claim that the R&A are primed to stage the Open once again at his Turnberry links.
“They want to come back,” Trump said. ”It is rated the No 1 course in Europe now. We did a big surgery on Turnberry and it has got great reviews, even from people who hate me.”
However, the R&A predictably dismissed Trump’s pronouncement, insisting “nothing has changed” since Martin Slumbers, their chief executive, went public on the matter in the wake of last year’s Jan 6 riot in the Capitol.
“We had no plans to stage any of our championships at Turnberry and will not do so in the foreseeable future,” Slumbers said. “We will not return until we are convinced that the focus will be on the championship, the players and the course itself and we do not believe that is achievable in the current circumstances.”