LIV Golf star Dustin Johnson ends 15 year partnership with Adidas
Dustin Johnson and Adidas have ended their 15-year-old partnership. The decision comes after Johnson reportedly wanted to focus on growing the 4Aces GC brand.
Adidas Golf president Jeff Lienhart said the separation was mutual.
"For more than 15 years, Dustin has been a great ambassador for the Adidas brand, said Lienhart in a statement. "We've had a front-row seat to see him win multiple major championships, ascend to the No. 1 ranking and cement himself as one of the best golfers in history – all while wearing the 3-Stripes. We wish Dustin nothing but success moving forward,” Lienhart said in an official statement.
Johnson is not the only prominent golfer who has departed from Adidas. Sergio Garcia, another LIV Golf professional, is not on the Adidas roster after the company didn't renew his contract. Joaquin Niemann, who has been with Adidas since 2018, is still with the company.
Johnson had a remarkable year with LIV last year, where he failed to finish in the top 10 only once. He emerged victorious at the LIV International in Boston. He also triumphed in the season-long title and his team 4Aces won the team title.
The new season of LIV Golf begins on February 24 with the first event in Mayakoba, Mexico. 12 teams will compete in 14 events throughout the year. The 12 captains include the likes of Johnson, Garcia, Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, and Cam Smith. The captains have 25% stakes in the team's shares with each managing their operating costs with the help of team prize money, sponsorship, and merchandise to do so.
The Saudi-backed league didn't find any broadcasters in its inaugural season, but now have a deal with the Nexstar-owned CW Network. The deal is of a "revenue sharing" nature.
Golf Pros in partnership with Adidas
- Collin Morikawa,
- Xander Schauffele,
- Tyrrell Hatton,
- Daniel Berger
- Joaquin Niemann
Dustin Johnson slips out of the top 50 for the first time in 13 years
Dustin Johnson had a fantastic 2022 where he won the inaugural season title in LIV Golf, took the bonus, and also won the team event with his team 4 Aces GC. However, none of this is reflected in his rankings as the former World No. 1 has dropped to 51st in the latest ranking update. This is the first time since 2010 that Johnson is out of the top 50 in OWGR.
Two years ago, Dustin Johnson was No. 1, spending 135 weeks combined at the top, just behind Tiger Woods (683) and Greg Norman (331) in terms of most weeks as No. 1.
Currently, only five LIV Golf players are inside the top 50 – Cam Smith, Joaquin Niemann, Abraham Ancer, Talor Gooch, and Harold Varner III.
Dustin Johnson finished sixth at the 150th Open last July. This was his last ranking-oriented tournament. He was set to take part in the PIF Saudi International but a back injury forced him to withdraw from the tournament.
With LIV players suspended from participating in all PGA Tour events, it looks like the rankings will drop further for all golfers participating in the brand new tour.