Dustin Johnson contends he would have been selected to this year’s United States Ryder Cup team had he not defected to LIV Golf.
Instead, the two-time major champion finds himself as a spectator despite being a part of five American teams. The Ryder Cup will be contested at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club in Rome, starting on Sept. 29.
“I would love to be a part of the team,” Johnson, 39, told The Palm Beach Post. “But to be honest, I haven’t really played that well this year. But have I played well enough to be on the team? Yeah. I didn’t have the best year. Was it good enough to make the team? I think so.
“If I would have been playing on (the PGA Tour), yeah, I would have made the team. Do I think I can help the U.S. team? Absolutely.”
Johnson, who joined the Saudi-funded LIV Golf circuit in June 2022, was not selected by U.S. captain Zach Johnson despite the former recording five Top 10 finishes this season.
He didn’t fare well in the majors, however, with his T-10 finish at the U.S. Open being the best of the lot. He posted a T–48 at the Masters, T–55 at the PGA and missed the cut at The Open Championship.
“If I would have played a little better at the majors, I think I definitely would have had a really good chance to be on the team,” Dustin Johnson said. “But just struggled a little bit in the majors this year, which happens.”
