Golf in turmoil: Johnson resigns PGA Tour, Mickelson joins LIV, Norman attacks | D'Angelo

Dustin Johnson resigned from the PGA Tour but still wants to play in the three majors not sanctioned by the tour – U.S. Open, Open Championship and Masters - and received the go-ahead from one Tuesday.

Phil Mickelson is pocketing $200 million from LIV Golf, which may or may not mitigate his gambling losses, a reported $140 million from 2010-14 alone.

Oh, and Greg Norman is on the attack, calling Jack Nicklaus a "hypocrite" and saying Rory McIlroy has been "brainwashed."

You could say the last 24 hours have been par for the course for the golf world of late.

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Norman, who has a home in Palm Beach Gardens, is the face of the Saudi-backed LIV Golf series, which has sparked his feud with the PGA Tour, the one that allowed him to become a very rich man despite choking away millions on Sundays.

The message, steer clear of Norman's wrath, unless you are a country that has committed human atrocities, a country that sanctioned the murder and dismemberment of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Then, Norman is sympathetic, forgiving.

“This whole thing about Saudi Arabia and Khashoggi and human rights; talk about it, but also talk about the good that the country is doing in changing its culture,” Norman said. “Look, we’ve all made mistakes and you just want to learn by those mistakes and how you can correct them going forward.”

Some people will say anything for $50 million a year, Norman's reported salary as chief executive of LIV Golf Investments.

Norman disputed Nicklaus' comments that he had "zero interest" in joining LIV despite meeting with the group at the Bear's Club in Jupiter. Norman told the Washington Post that Nicklaus, who lives in North Palm Beach, told the Saudi group in an e-mail that LIV golf "is good for our game, If it’s good for the game of golf, it’s good by me."

Norman continued: "So, you want the facts? You’ve got the facts. Know what you said before you open your mouth.”

Norman also said McIlroy, who lives in Jupiter, and others have been brainwashed against LIV.

That was followed by the unsurprising announcement that Mickelson is joining LIV and the bombshell that Johnson is quitting the PGA Tour.

Phil Mickelson takes the money and runs to LIV

Mickelson's addition to the LIV series was expected when room was saved as the initial 42-man field was announced last week. The Hall of Famer was on top of the world just 14 months ago at the PGA Championship when, at 50, he became the oldest winner of major championship. His self-imposed exile from the tour started after acknowledging Saudi Arabia's human rights abuses and yet ignoring them for "leverage" against the PGA Tour.

Now, he's taking the money, which Golf Channel reported to be $200 million for the three-year contract. The series starts with eight events this year.

Johnson, also a Jupiter resident, has made it easy for PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan. He just walked away from the tour that has allowed him to make more than $74 million on the course and hundreds of millions more off the course, some of which will dry up as sponsors start bailing. He is being paid a reported $125 million from LIV.

"Obviously at this time it's hard to speak on what the consequences will be, but for right now, I've resigned my membership from the PGA Tour," Johnson said at a news conference for the first LIV event to be played this week in London.

"I'm going to play here for now and that's the plan. What the consequences are going to be, I can't comment on how the tour is going to handle it."

As for Johnson's desire to continue playing majors, he - and others like LIV defectors Sergio Garcia, Kevin Na, and Louis Oosthuizen - cleared one hurdle when the USGA said players affiliated with LIV golf would not be blocked from playing next week's U.S. Open at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass.

Dustin Johnson's world ranking is at lowest in past seven years

The Tour will not miss DJ. Sure, he's popular and his spent 135 weeks atop the world rankings and is married to Wayne Gretzky's daughter, but he is one of many in that second tier of needle movers behind the true headliners: Tiger Woods, McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas and Bryson DeChambeau.

Mickelson was among that group until this year.

And he's struggled of late. Johnson's last PGA Tour victory was the November 2020 Masters and he has one top 10 finish in stroke play this season. Johnson's No. 15 world ranking is as low as it's been in seven years.

Monahan has all but told those who opt to play in the LIV series not to let the flagstick poke them on the way off the green. Those opting to play are subject to fines and possible suspension after he denied conflicting-event releases to this week's LIV event.

Every golfer has a right to make a choice on which tour to play just as every tour has a right to protect its brand. Most tour players are reluctant to criticize their peers joining LIV golf, saying it's a personal decision, although Jupiter's Brooks Koepka made his feelings clear saying those tour players who join the league will "sell out."

And for players in the twilight of their careers and those who have struggled for years to gain their membership on the tour and those who are not sure if they have the game to ever hit it big ... the money-grab in understandable.

West Palm Beach's Chase Koepka, Brook's younger brother, is playing LIV. He has made $8,500 this year on three different tours. The golfer that finishes last this week will earn $120,000. And figuring Chase could be in the middle of the pack most every week, he could make 10 to 20 times in eight weekends than what he's earned in six years as a professional.

But everyone must look themselves in the mirror each time they cash a check. For some, money is more important than reputation.

Tom D'Angelo is a journalist at the Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at tdangelo@pbpost.com. 

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Dustin Johnson resignation from PGA Tour adds to latest golf turmoil