Dustin Johnson was once the face of the RBC Canadian Open, but years after winning the National Men’s Golf Championship, his sudden withdrawal from the PGA Tour did not significantly affect ticket sales for the tournament.
Johnson, who won the 2018 Canadian Open, announced Tuesday that he will not play at St. George’s Golf and Country Club in Toronto next week. Instead, Johnson entered the field with 48 people for the first Saudi-funded LIV Golf Invitational, a new rival men’s golf chain hoping to compete with the PGA Tour.
“No, I haven’t seen anything suggestive of impact,” said Dan Pino, senior communications director at Golf Canada, about Johnson’s departure. “In terms of ticket sales, we continue to have a positive trend.
“I don’t know that this decision had any weight with the behavior of the tickets. We are following it well.”
Johnson was at the center of promotional materials for the Canadian Open before and after his 2018 victory at the Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont. He was naturally suited for the lead role as one of the world’s best golfers, a member of the RBC team and the husband of Paulina Gretsky, the daughter of NHL legend Wayne Gretsky, who grew up in nearby Brantford, Ont.
However, Johnson lost his RBC sponsorship within a day of retiring from the Canadian Open in favor of the LIV Golf event at the Centurion Golf Club outside London, England. In addition, the PGA Tour threatened Johnson, Graham McDowell and other players who jumped to the LIV Golf with disciplinary action.
“The PGA Tour has been clear about its intentions in accordance with the rules of the tournament if a golfer chooses to play in an off-tour tournament, including the LIV Golf Invitational Series,” RBC said in a statement on Wednesday. “We recently learned that Dustin Johnson decided to play at the opening of the LIV Golf Invitational Series.
“The DJ has been a valuable member of the RBC team since 2018. Although we are extremely disappointed with his decision, we wish him success.”
WATCH Johnson wins 2018 Canadian Open:
Golf Wrap: Dustin Johnson wins the Canadian Open
Golfer №1 in the world won the RBC Canadian Open for the first time in his career. Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ontario, was the lowest Canadian for the second year in a row.
Masters champion Scheffler heads a strong field
Although Johnson is ranked 13th in the world and 96th in the FedExCup rankings on the PGA Tour, this year’s Canadian Open still boasts strong positions. World No. 9 Sam Burns was added to the squad on Thursday morning, joining World No. 5 Justin Thomas, who joined the event on May 25 after winning the PGA Championship.
The game was further strengthened on Thursday with the addition of South African Justin Rose, winner of the 2013 US Open, and 2019 British Open champion Shane Lowry of Ireland.
Reigning Canadian Open and World No. 7 champion Rory McIlroy, World No. 1 and reigning Masters champion Scotty Scheffler and World No. 3 Cameron Smith have previously agreed to play in the national championship.
Pino said organizers were not particularly worried about further retreats to the LIV Golf event before the Canadian Open was finalized on Friday.
“Withdrawals happen. We see it every year, whether it’s a change in the trip, whether someone will win the week before what was supposed to be in our tournament, we’ve had that in the past,” Pino said. “We are following well in terms of the overall strength of our field.”
McIlroy, who won the Hamilton Golf and Country Club in 2019, said in a video released by the Canadian Open that he was excited to defend his title after the tournament was suspended for two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I’m just looking forward to going back there, playing in front of the fans again, recreating the atmosphere, like we did that Sunday,” McIlroy said.
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