BREAKING: Dustin Johnson And Swing Coach Claude Harmon Part Ways

One of the most successful golfers on the PGA TOUR over the past few years has undoubtedly been Dustin Johnson. Having one a major and held the title of number one golfer in the world on a few different occasions. Despite all of that recent success, DJ is shaking up his team.

For someone that has finished as the runner up in the first two majors of the season and seen success in nearly all the events that he has played in this year, it’s surprising to see changes to how they prepare. The expectations for DJ are that high, however, that it’s a disappointment when he doesn’t win. That may be the motivation behind a parting of Johnson and swing coach Claude Harmon III.

Harmon III has been working for Johnson for a while now, playing an integral part in DJ’s recent success. And Johnson said that he has and always will respect what Harmon III has taught him. “I have great respect for Claude, both as an instructor and friend, and appreciate all he has done to further my career,” Johnson said in a statement. “He has undoubtedly helped me reach many of my goals.”

Dustin Johnson of the United States works with coach Claude Harmon…

Dustin Johnson of the United States works with coach Claude Harmon III on the practice range prior to the 2016 Ryder Cup at Hazeltine National Golf Club on September 26, 2016 in Chaska, Minnesota. Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images

Despite the news being treated as a mutual parting, it seemed as though Johnson had already started moving on. GolfChannel’s Todd Lewis recently reported that Harmon III was not aware that Johnson would be working with Allen Terrell, DJ’s college coach and a leader of Johnson’s golf school, on his swing at the most recent tournaments. When Harmon III attempted to talk to DJ about it, he never heard back, leading to the split.

So there may be more to the story than both men believing it was time to move on. There is one thing that supports the idea that there is no bad blood between the two, and that is that Johnson will continue to work with Harmon III’s father. Butch Harmon has been working for DJ for a long time as well and will continue to work one-on-one with Johnson when he is in Las Vegas.

This shakeup seems to indicate that Johnson is not satisfied with finishing in the top ten and believes he can be playing even better. No one knows for sure if Harmon III is part of that problem but time will tell if this split will result in more wins for DJ in the future.

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