On March 10, Beijing time, it was reported that Dustin Johnson was very interested in the super golf league. But last month he said in a statement that he would stick to the US tour. Johnson declined to give details of his dialogue with the Saudi backed Premier League and any sponsors, but admitted that "there are some areas of interest".
Johnson, 37, and several top players have been involved in the Premier League recently. On February 20, Johnson and Bryson Deschamps announced that they would continue to participate in the US tour, while Phil Mickelson withdrew indefinitely due to a series of sensitive remarks related to the Premier League.
"After talking to my family, friends and team, I think we made the best decision for me," Johnson said before the players' championship. Johnson said he had "talked several times" with the sponsors about the Premier League, but declined to disclose specific details. He also did not disclose whether he had any negotiations with Augusta National Club on how to participate in the American Masters in the future if he joined the Premier League.
Johnson also said that discussions about the Premier League would not affect his performance on the pitch. The former world No. 1 player has fallen to No. 9 in the official World Golf Ranking. He has not been a champion since the American Masters in November 2020. Although Johnson won the Saudi International Invitational championship in early 2021, his best result on the US tour since winning the US Masters was tied for sixth in last year's BMW championship.
Johnson attributed the decline more to his attempt to "nearly 100 No. 1 logs" last year, which affected his attention to other parts of the game. After failing to enter the championship tour, Johnson only participated in three competitions this year. He tied for 25 places in dorison, 1 place in Saudi Arabia and 8 places. He was eliminated in the Jens invitational tournament.
On Thursday local time, he will start his 13th players' championship. Johnson said he was a big fan of TPC sawtooth. Although he only won one of the top ten in TPC sawtooth grass, he was tied for 48 here last year. "To be honest, because I like this stadium and the setting here, if there is something that makes me stop, it may be the green. But now the game is held in March, I think I can better read the green. I feel very comfortable here. I have achieved some victories in the past few years since I moved here, and I hope to continue."
Johnson is the last world number one player to win the championship on the US tour, 16 months ago. He said that since then, his condition has been relatively struggling, and the No. 1 wood and putter are not very good.