if Zach Johnson Dustin Johnson knew to repeat his historic Ryder Cup performance two years ago at Whistling Straits, picking him this year was easy.
But it hasn’t been easy for the US captain, and now a man who became the first American to go 5-0 in a Ryder Cup competition in 42 years and has been part of five US teams, no longer in Marco. Simone Golf & Country Club in Rome later this month.
Dustin Johnson told the Palm Beach Post he wanted to be a part the US Ryder Cup team. Although he admitted not playing “well” in 2023, He believes he has played well enough to be captain of the selection.
“I want to be part of the team,” DJ said. “But honestly, I haven’t really played well, this year. But did I play enough to make the team? Yes. I didn’t have the best year. Was it enough to make the team? I think so. If I play on the (PGA Tour), yes, I can make the team.
“Do I think I can help the US team? Absolutely.”
DJ, 39, joined the Saudi-backed LIV Golf tour 16 months ago, signing for a reported $125 million. Then he earned more than $35 million in the next five months, winning the individual championship of LIV.
Since joining LIV the only PGA Tour events he has played are majors.
Although he has five top 10s in 11 LIV events this year, what matters to Zach Johnson is Dustin playing in the majors. He finished 10th at the US Open, but was T48 at the Masters, T55 at the PGA Championship and missed the cut at the British Open.
“If I would have played a little bit better in the majors, I think I definitely would have had a good chance to make the team,” Dustin said. “But just struggled a little bit in the majors this year, which happens.”
DJ with Arnold Palmer, Gardner Dickinson, Larry Nelson
As the oldest member of the team two years ago, DJ was 5-0, leading the US to a dominant 19-9 victory over the Europeans. He joins Arnold Palmer (1967), Gardner Dickinson (1967) and Larry Nelson (1979) as the only players to go 5-0 in Ryder Cup history.
DJ was also a part of the 2010, 2012, 2016 and 2018 teams.
“If you’ve been a part of teams in the last 12-14 years, you want to be a part of these because they’re great events,” DJ said.
Dustin Johnson and Zach Johnson addressed the majors this year and DJ let the captain know he wanted to be a part of the team.
“We talked a lot,” Dustin said. “He’s a good friend of mine. So yeah, we talked.
“I told him I want to be in the team. But like I said, I’m not playing enough, especially since I’m not on the Tour, I really need to play well.”
Which is how his LIV cohort, Brooks Koepka, landed on the team. Koepka narrowly missed out on one of the six automatic qualifier spots, but Zach Johnson chose him as captain of choice. Koepka was runner-up at the Masters and won his fifth career major at the PGA Championship.
Zach Johnson was asked if he would consider adding Dustin Johnson as a captain option. He said other LIV players besides Koepka were discussed, but “it was a long time coming.”
“They have a chance,” Zach said. “We had a guy on the team (in Koepka) who had that opportunity and seized it.”
Dustin Johnson is looking forward to seeing, and rooting for, his “friends.” Five members of the US team – Patrick Cantlay, Xander Schauffele, Brooks Koepka, Rickie Fowler and Justin Thomas – live in Palm Beach County.
“I’m still a buddy to all the boys,” said DJ. “I saw them all, at least half of the team lives here on Jupiter.
“I’ll definitely watch them, for sure.”
This article originally appeared in the Palm Beach Post: Dustin Johnson believes joining LIV Golf cost him a spot in the Ryder Cup