Why Have Dustin Johnson and Other LIV Golfers Resigned From the PGA Tour, While Mickelson Has Not?

After it was looking like the LIV Golf Invitational Series’ first event in London might not have a lot of star power, we found last week that several PGA Tour and DP World Tour players are defying those organizations by playing in the event.

PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan has threatened disciplinary actions against players who are playing in the LIV event despite not getting an exemption, but several players—including Dustin Johnson—have taken a pre-emptive strike.

As the old saying goes, “You can’t fire me; I quit.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Instead of waiting to see what the punishment would be, Johnson announced his resignation from the PGA Tour on Monday. Over the weekend, Kevin Na, Sergio Garcia, Louis Oosthuizen, Charl Schwartzel, and Branden Grace followed suit. 

It’s believed that while avoiding discipline, those resigning from the tour can also save themselves in legal fees if they want to challenge any suspension or ban.

Phil Mickelson, who said that he is not resigning from the PGA Tour, seems ready for a fight. He’s challenged the PGA Tour’s control over golfers’ schedules despite them being independent contractors.

Status for Majors

Another key part of this has to do with players’ status in majors. The USGA announced that it will not ban LIV golfers from next week’s U.S. Open, and the other three majors are not controlled by the PGA Tour (the PGA Championship is organized by the PGA of America, a separate entity).

USGA statement on the 2022 #USOpen field: pic.twitter.com/45XPWpsc3O

— USGA (@USGA) June 7, 2022

If LIV players are still allowed to play in the four majors, that takes a bit of the sting out of not being on the PGA Tour. Some have also speculated that being under a ban or suspension on the PGA Tour could hurt some golfers’ eligibility for majors. 

A resignation also isn’t permanent, as if players don’t see the LIV tour being viable in the long-term, they could reapply to the PGA Tour, whereas a ban could come with more long-lasting repercussions for players.

While Johnson and others have taken their stand, with Mickelson and other tour players like Talor Gooch and Graeme McDowell still on board, it likely won’t take long to see what the PGA Tour’s next move is.

Cover Image Via Golf Channel