“I miss Paulina not being there more than DJ”: Golf fans react to Dustin Johnson’s latest comments about missing the Ryder Cup team
Dustin Johnson reignited the LIV Golf vs. PGA Tour controversy on Wednesday by saying that if had he been playing on the U.S. Tour, he would have made the team for the Ryder Cup. He said this despite the fact that the current season has not been his best.
Johnson is currently ranked eighth out of 52-qualified players in LIV Golf’s individual standings this year. The 39-year-old did not have much impact in the major championships in 2023 either, with a T-10 finish at the U.S. Open being his best showing.
In an interview with Golfweek, Johnson said that he would have made the American team for the Ryder Cup if he was part of the PGA Tour instead of the Saudi-backed curcuit.
“I would love to be a part of the team… But to be honest, I haven’t really played that well, this year. But have I played well enough to be on the team? Yeah. I didn’t have the best year. Was it good enough to make the team? I think so. If I would have been playing on (the PGA Tour), yeah, I would have made the team…. Do I think I can help the U.S. team? Absolutely!,” Dustin Johnson said.
Fans reacted in different ways to Dustin Johnson's statements. Here are a few posts from fans on X on the matter:
Dustin Johnson at the Ryder Cup
Johnson was a relatively young golfer when he was called up to the Ryder Cup for the first time, but his golfing qualities quickly led to him playing an important role on the American team.
The American has participated in five editions of the Ryder Cup (2010, 12, 16, 16, 18, 21) and has two victories (2016, 21). His overall record is 12 out of a possible 21 points, with 12 wins and nine losses (no draws).
Johnson's most memorable edition was in 2021, when he played 5 games and did not lose any, contributing five points to the victory of the Americans. Another outstanding performance came in 2012, when he scored three points in the same number of matches.
In the 2012 edition, famously known as 'The Miracle at Medinah', Johnson was the best player of the entire team. He was the top accumulator along with four other players, but unlike Johnson, everyone else lost at least one game.
Johnson was one of only three American players to win a singles match in 2012, and it was there that the "miracle" of the European comeback occurred.
At the Ryder Cup, the 39-year-old excelled primarily in singles, where he won four of his five matches. His only defeat in this competition was against Ian Poulter in 2018.
Dustin Johnson's worst performance came on his debut, where he picked up just one point in four matches. However, he won the singles competition against none other than Martin Kaymer, who had just won the PGA Championship that same year.