It’s always hard witnessing some of golf’s all-time greats struggle to recreate their brilliant best from yesteryear. Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods are still playing despite being well beyond their prime.
Woods’ decline, in particular, has been hard to witness. The former world number one is a far cry from the dominant figure who captivated the imagination of millions of fans during the mid-2000s.
However, Woods’ return to glory at the 2019 Masters was one of golf’s all-time moments and demonstrated that recovering from the lowest of lows is possible.
Mickelson also rolled back the years in 2021. The lefty became the oldest major winner after landing the PGA Championship at Kiawah Island, a feat many thought impossible.
Unfortunately, there’s a two-time major winner 14 years younger than Mickelson whose performances suggest he’s in the twilight of his career.
Golf fans react to Dustin Johnson’s struggles at LIV Golf Hong Kong
Former world number one Dustin Johnson has struggled over the past 12 months in the LIV Golf League. Since LIV‘s Singapore event in 2024, Johnson hasn’t finished inside the top ten. The American’s last victory came in Las Vegas last February.
In the majors, Johnson had a high finish of 31st in 2024, which came at The Open Championship. The 40-year-old missed cuts at The Masters and US Open. Clearly, something isn’t right.
With Johnson once again out of sorts, this time at LIV’s Hong Kong event (seven over through 36 holes), fans online are convinced his best days are behind him.
“He has totally fallen off,” one fan said. “But I still expect him to make big runs at key times. It does suck to see him playing this poorly, though.”
Another said: “He genuinely doesn’t care, I think. I mean, obviously, he’s a winner and wants to win, but he’s ready to chill for the rest of his life, I think.”
This fan said, “He just doesn’t seem to care anymore.”
“Nothing to play for. Cash in hand already. Real events with no pressure,” another fan wrote.
Finally, this fan said: “Yes. He doesn’t care about golf. He got his bag!”
Kevin Kisner’s dig at Dustin Johnson’s game
It’s not just fans who believe Johnson is past his best.In a recent podcast appearance, Kevin Kisner claimed Johnson was no longerworld-classe.
So, is the American actually past his peak?
The simple answer is yes, but that doesn’t mean he cannot win another major championship. There are numerous examples of older players competing at the highest level.
Tom Watson was 60 when he came within a whisker of winning the 2009 Open Championship at Turnberry. Meanwhile, there are the aforementioned examples of Woods and Mickelson.
Clearly, Johnson’s consistency may have wilted, but that doesn’t mean he can’t put together four good rounds of golf at the right time.
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