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LIV Golf star with $166million earnings receives surprise late PGA Championship invite to keep streak alive

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Dustin Johnson has been handed a Major lifeline by receiving a surprise invite to play the upcoming PGA Championship at Quail Hollow.

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The former world No.1 hasn’t missed one of the four premier events since 2017 but as of Rory McIlroy’s triumph in Augusta, he no longer has a guaranteed entry into the majors thanks to his 2020 Masters victory.

Johnson’s form has slumped in LIV Golf this year and he didn’t even come close to earning another exemption at The Masters this year as he failed to make the weekend with two rounds in the 70s.

With LIV events still not recognised by the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) system, that put his eight-year Major run in serious jeopardy ahead of the 2025 PGA Championship.

But Johnson, who boasts career earnings of around $166million, has been handed a special invitation to play by the PGA of America.

The two-time Major winner — who has finished runner-up twice in the tournament — has only cracked the top five once in LIV this season.

Fans were not all best pleased at the 40-year-old’s inclusion.

“Doesn’t deserve it… earn it with good play,” wrote one.

“A mercy invite,” added another.

“Field filler, will be a non factor if he even makes the cut,” insisted a third.

With Joaquin Niemann, David Puig, Tom McKibbin, Sergio Garcia and Patrick Reed also being granted exemptions, there seems to be a concerted push to include LIV stars in the Championship.

Despite his struggles, Johnson insists his game isn’t far off.

“I’m playing better than I scored for sure. Didn’t score very well,” he said after his second round at Augusta.

“Yeah, tough finish there. Played pretty solid all day until the last two holes. Golf is a funny game, as I did today, shooting one over. You play the same round and shoot four, five under.

“Just a couple of putts here and there drop and gives you a little momentum, a little confidence, [and] it’s a different day.”

In two LIV outings since The Masters, Johnson has finished in ties for seventh and 34th.

The last Major he failed to play in was at Augusta in 2017 when he was forced to pull out after slipping in his rental home before the tournament.

Masters champion McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler, who is coming in off the back of a PGA Tour record score of 31-under, are the joint-favourites ahead of LIV superstar Bryson DeChambeau.

Other notable names to be handed PGA of America invites include Rickie Fowler, Gary Woodland, Cameron Young, Will Zalatoris and Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald.

 

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Paige Spiranac’s surprising NFL fandom confession triggers heated debate over loyalty, authenticity, and fan culture

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The 2026 NFL Draft starts Thursday night in Pittsburgh, and the spotlight isn’t only on prospects and front offices. Golf influencer Paige Spiranac has again found herself pulled into NFL conversation, this time for her open support of multiple teams.

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With the Steelers hosting the first round, her long-standing connection to Pittsburgh has resurfaced. But it’s not just about hometown ties. Her broader fandom, which stretches beyond one franchise, continues to draw mixed reactions at a time when fan loyalty is often treated as non-negotiable.

Paige Spiranac roots for 2 NFL teams: Who are they?

Paige Spiranac has never hidden where her loyalties lie, even if they don’t fit the usual mold. She has consistently pointed to her roots while leaving space for other allegiances.

“Both my parents are from Pittsburgh so I’ve been a Steelers ..fan since the day I was born. I also love the Bills. It’s a complicated relationship…Who’s your team?” she previously asked her followers. It’s a candid admission, one that reflects personal history more than calculated fandom.

Still, the reaction has been sharp. NFL culture tends to rew ..

 

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Quiet moments on the course can say a lot about what’s coming next.

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Sometimes the most important work happens when nobody is really watching.
Lexi Thompson was out on the 18th green, working through her putting during a practice round ahead of the Chevron Championship in Houston.

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It’s a simple scene, but it shows the kind of quiet preparation that goes into these big tournaments—getting the feel of the greens, adjusting to conditions, and building trust in every stroke.

These are the small details that can shape how a player starts when the pressure kicks in.

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Predicting what will happen to Bryson DeChambeau and Phil Mickelson if LIV Golf collapses

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It looks like LIV Golf is over.

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The Saudi Public Investment Fund has reportedly decided that this league simply isn’t worth the hole it’s burning in their pocket, and they’re pulling funds at the end of 2026.

That gives them less than a year to seek new investment. While CEO Scott O’Neil seems confident, it’s going to be extremely difficult to secure funding for a league that is operating at such eye-watering losses.

So this probably pulls the curtain closed on one of the most turbulent, frustrating, confusing, and ridiculous eras in golfing history. Hopefully, we can all return to some reality after the year is over.

But there is still so much uncertainty surrounding golf’s future thanks to this. Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed saw the signs early and jumped ship, but they did that with some leverage. So what on earth is going to happen to the rest of these players who didn’t take the olive branch when it was offered to them?

Feelings will be hurt, and careers will be ended. Let’s take a look.

Jon Rahm rejoins the PGA Tour

Koepka returned to the PGA Tour under the returning member program, which saw him pay $5 million to charity, accept that he’ll receive no FedEx Cup bonus money, and agree he cannot be a sponsor exemption for the 2026 signature events.

 

That same deal was offered to Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau. They didn’t accept it, but a similar offer will likely be handed out to them again.

 

If LIV Golf folds, Rahm will not hold the same leverage as Koepka did, but he is a bigger star at this stage of his career. Make no mistake, the PGA Tour will want him back immediately.

But Rahm does risk leaving himself without any options at all. Reed didn’t come straight back to the PGA Tour, so he’s spending a year on the DP World Tour first. You’d imagine Rahm would consider doing the same, but it might not be so easy for him.

Rahm is in a feud with the DP World Tour, as the only one of eight players to reject a deal which would have seen him retain his full-time membership. If Rahm agreed to play in six DP World Tour events this year, then he could have played on both LIV Golf and the tour. He did not agree.

For now, his membership is at risk. So, will it be possible for him to spend a season on the DP World Tour like Reed? Maybe not. That makes it all the more likely that Rahm will be back on the PGA Tour the moment LIV folds.

Bryson DeChambeau does YouTube full-time

With DeChambeau, I don’t think it’s as much of a done deal that he returns to the PGA Tour. Not immediately anyway.

He’s been negotiating his contract with LIV, which expires at the end of this season. During these negotiations, he’s made it very clear that he is completely willing to step away from full-time competition and be a full-time YouTuber.

DeChambeau’s channel has over two million subscribers, so he could feasibly do that with all of the money he’s making there.

He was annoyed to see LIV move to a four-day format, so he could commit himself fully to being the content king. It would be a wild thing to do, but it’s also exactly the kind of move you could see the two-time major winner making.

He could qualify for The Open Championship and the US Open, and earn enough points there to play The Masters and the PGA Championship. It’s possible.

He does seem to live for competition, so maybe YouTube won’t quite scratch the itch, but it is on the table for DeChambeau. At least for a year until his suspension expires. Out of Rahm and DeChambeau, the American is absolutely the least likely to take a deal.

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