Golfing aficionado Dustin Johnson, who has been grappling with a tumultuous 2025 season, has recently found himself under the spotlight once again. However, this time it’s not his play that is taking center stage but rather his ongoing battle with injury. At the onset of the season, he had a less-than-stellar start, finishing in the T44 position at the first LIV Golf event in Riyadh. His performance further plummeted during the subsequent LIV event in Hong Kong, where he scored a disappointing 54, much to the dismay of his ardent fans.
Despite the gloomy outlook, Johnson refused to be counted out. At the ongoing LIV event in Singapore, he surprised everyone by staging an impressive comeback. Remarkably, he did this while wrestling with the same injury that had hampered his performance in Hong Kong. During a press conference, Johnson revealed that he had been experiencing problems with his shoulder or rib, stating, “I hit draws all week. It wasn’t very good until Sunday when I could finally move a little better.”
Just a week after his Hong Kong struggles, Johnson pulled off a flawless performance in the first round of LIV Golf Singapore. He scored an 8-under 63 and secured a three-stroke lead over Sebastian Munoz. However, he disclosed that his injury had impeded him to the point where he couldn’t even move his head properly. After receiving treatment following the second round in Hong Kong, he made a slight comeback, shooting a 6-under 64. Despite this improvement, he still finished last.
Reflecting on his performance, Johnson admitted that his injury had played a significant role. He stated, “I felt like I was swinging good leading into Friday, and then obviously Friday and Saturday, I didn’t swing it that well, but I swung it really nicely on Sunday. It was just, obviously, the body loosened back up, and I could hit the shots that I wanted to.” Unfortunately, his return to form came a bit too late.
Recently, Johnson has received a barrage of criticism for his performance. However, he didn’t let it dent his spirit in Singapore. Given his current OWGR ranking of 619, one can understand the concern surrounding his form.
Johnson’s current struggle with form doesn’t negate his achievements in the sport. He held the World No. 1 ranking for a total of 135 weeks, a feat only surpassed by Tiger Woods and Scottie Scheffler. Johnson reached his peak in 2017, finishing third at the U.S. Open. Even today, he fondly reminisces about this period of his career.
Johnson won his first green jacket in 2020, but hasn’t managed to secure another since. Following his strong 2017 season, he had several good years with a few wins each year. However, his form began to dwindle after the 2022 season. His performances have been on a downward trajectory since he joined LIV Golf, resulting in a substantial drop in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) by a staggering 606 positions!
His last victory was in February 2024 in Las Vegas, and his best finish since then was T7 at LIV Golf’s recent event in Singapore. Johnson currently sits at 50th in the overall standings. His deteriorating performances have led fans to question his dedication to the sport. However, Johnson still has an impressive record of winning at least once in each of the three seasons of LIV Golf. If he manages a win this year, he will be the first player to win in all four seasons!
When asked about his prospects, Johnson responded, “Well, yeah, it’s always—especially with the strength of field that we have out here. It’s really hard to win. Anytime you can get a win, no matter when it is, it’s always good. Yeah, obviously winning every single year I’ve been on Tour, I’m really proud of it, just as far as keeping my game at a high level for such a long period of time.” If Johnson is indeed on the path to a comeback, we are looking forward to witnessing the action unfold in real-time!