{"id":410736,"date":"2026-01-16T11:07:17","date_gmt":"2026-01-16T11:07:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/410736\/"},"modified":"2026-01-16T11:07:17","modified_gmt":"2026-01-16T11:07:17","slug":"dustin-johnson-announces-critical-liv-golf-decision-as-bryson-dechambeau-delivers-fresh-blow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/410736\/","title":{"rendered":"Dustin Johnson Announces Critical LIV Golf Decision as Bryson DeChambeau Delivers Fresh Blow"},"content":{"rendered":"

With Brooks Koepka leaving LIV Golf, all eyes were on Bryson DeChambeau<\/a> and Jon Rahm. But Dustin Johnson<\/a> has just proved that there\u2019s another elite on the roster that deserves the golf world\u2019s attention.<\/p>\n

While many are talking about other golfers to join Koepka, DJ drew a firm line about where he stands, and the timing could not be louder.<\/p>\n

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Dustin Johnson signed a multi-year contract extension with LIV Golf. This solidified his commitment as captain of 4Aces GC ahead of the 2026 season.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis team is built for big moments, and 2026 is a chance for us to take another step forward,\u201d Johnson remarked. \u201cThomas Detry is a great addition; he\u2019s confident, competitive, and that fits exactly what we\u2019re about.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thomas Detry was in talks with LIV Golf and has now officially signed a deal<\/a> to join the 4Aces GC. Meanwhile, the 2x major champion is clear about where he stands in the PGA Tour vs LIV Golf battle.<\/p>\n

DJ joined the Saudi-backed league in 2022 and has won 3 individual events since then. This includes the 2024 Las Vegas event, the 2023 Tulsa event, and the 2022 Boston event.<\/p>\n

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Dustin Johnson has repeatedly voiced strong support for LIV Golf and backed his move.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt that time, I was committed to playing the PGA Tour,\u201d Johnson said about his LIV Golf move. \u201cI\u2019m very thankful for the PGA Tour\u2026 But this is something that was best for me and my family.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFor me, it was playing less, making more money. Pretty simple,\u201d Johnson explained in a 2023 Full Swing episode.<\/p>\n

While many golfers try to be subtle, DJ has always been open to saying that the financial benefits were simply too good to refuse. And he still stands by that, which is reflected in his new multi-year contract. However, this Dustin Johnson move comes amid a fresh blow to LIV Golf by Bryson DeChambeau<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Ever since Brooks Koepka left LIV Golf, the focus on Bryson DeChambeau\u2019s contract has increased. While DeChambeau has shown support for the Saudi-backed league and wants to continue, he has also stated that the terms should be in the best interest of both parties<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI mean, look, it\u2019s confidential. I\u2019m not going to share too much, but the conversations are in process. We have to get to a place where both parties have a good understanding of one another,\u201d DeChambeau said in an exclusive interview with Flushing It Golf.<\/p>\n

And now that Koepka has left and the 2x US Open champion has another option available, it is easier for him to put pressure on LIV Golf. In fact, he has already done that by being ok with a full-time YouTube golfer role.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s an incredibly viable option, I\u2019ll tell you that,\u201d Bryson DeChambeau added.<\/p>\n

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DeChambeau has seen significant success on YouTube.<\/p>\n

While slow initially, he has engaged a lot of viewers recently. Across 244 videos, he has amassed over 500 million views. Apart from that, he has 2.57 million subscribers to his channel.<\/p>\n

Now, if he sees this as a viable option, it means that he might still not be eyeing a PGA Tour return yet. In fact, he has already declined the Returning Member Program by committing to LIV Golf for 2026.<\/p>\n

Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm didn\u2019t take the Returning Member Program<\/p>\n

Brian Rolapp announced the Returning Member Program<\/a> to offer elite LIV golfers a path back to the PGA Tour. It is this program that reinstated Brooks Koepka and enabled him to participate in the Farmers Insurance Open.<\/p>\n

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However, it is only for professionals who have played on LIV Golf for at least two years. Besides that, the professional should have won the Players Championship or a major event between 2022 and 2025.<\/p>\n

This made Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm<\/a>, and Cameron Smith eligible to get back on the PGA Tour.<\/p>\n

The return also comes with some harsh penalties.<\/p>\n

Returning players must commit to 15 co-sponsored or approved events in 2026 and donate $5 million to PGA Tour Charities. They also have to forfeit 2026 FedEx Cup bonuses and forgo equity grants for five years (2026-2030). Additionally, they qualify for Signature Events via performance but cannot receive any sponsor exemptions.<\/p>\n

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Although there is now a clear path back, both Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm have committed to LIV Golf for 2026. Jon Rahm has voiced clear intentions, while there\u2019s no clarity on Bryson DeChambeau\u2019s part about what will happen after 2026.<\/p>\n

Yet Dustin Johnson\u2019s extension sends a clear signal of stability for LIV Golf at a time when speculation surrounds several of its biggest names. With Bryson DeChambeau keeping his options open beyond 2026, the contrast highlights how firmly DJ has planted his flag while others continue to weigh their next move.<\/p>\n

The post Dustin Johnson Announces Critical LIV Golf Decision as Bryson DeChambeau Delivers Fresh Blow<\/a> appeared first on EssentiallySports<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"With Brooks Koepka leaving LIV Golf, all eyes were on Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm. But Dustin Johnson…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":410737,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[71],"tags":[18939,15547,35853,427,13755,10658,3332,99],"class_list":{"0":"post-410736","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-golf","8":"tag-brooks-koepka","9":"tag-bryson-dechambeau","10":"tag-dustin-johnson","11":"tag-golf","12":"tag-jon-rahm","13":"tag-liv-golf","14":"tag-pga-tour","15":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/410736","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=410736"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/410736\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/410737"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=410736"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=410736"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=410736"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}