Dustin Johnson might soon see his LIV Golf ally Pat Perez relegated from the circuit's elite - despite having secured the 48-year-old a deal to stay with the 4Aces just months ago.
Johnson led the 4Aces to a stellar first season in the LIV series, bagging both the individual champion title and the team championship at the lavish $50million (£39.6m) finale in Miami. The squad's hot streak extended into 2023, topping the regular season leaderboard before being narrowly defeated by Crushers GC.
At the close of the 2023 season last October, former PGA Tour pro Perez was ranked 28th, which saw him enter free agency after his initial contract with the controversial league ended. Despite the uncertainty over his career in 2024, Perez was thrown a lifeline by skipper Johnson, who re-signed him to the 4Aces for another year.
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Having earned his captain's trust, Perez told LIVGolf.com at the time: "Couldn’t be more excited. It’s phenomenal to remain a part of LIV. I’m very grateful... I think DJ saw the effort. And I think he likes having me on the team. I’m honoured to get the deal and have another year. I’m going to try just as hard next season, if not harder."
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Yet, almost a year later, Perez is once again staring down the barrel of an uncertain future, this time with the threat of relegation looming. Currently, Perez is close to the relegation zone, sitting just two places above it with only four regular season events left.
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Johnson's LIV Golf team are struggling to make an impression in 2024 (PA)However, the three-time PGA Tour champion managed to give himself some breathing room last week in Nashville, finishing tied for 14th at The Grove and scoring eight-under-par over three rounds. This marks only the second time Perez has made it into the top 15 in his nine starts on the Saudi-backed circuit this season, as he's been struggling to hit his stride in 2024.
He's not alone, though, as the 4Aces have also failed to reproduce the dominant performances that made them a force to be reckoned with in 2022 and 2023. Despite these challenges, Perez remains confident in his team's dedication and hard work.
"We just haven't played that well," he said in Houston this month. "I haven't played well really - it's not for - I don't really know why. I haven't put any less work in. I've actually worked just as much as I have my whole career.
"I just haven't really seen any scores, haven't really gotten on any streaks to get it going. Just as a team we haven't had low enough scores. With the caliber of players that are out there and the teams that are playing well, we just haven't matched them for three days."
Despite clinching a victory in Las Vegas earlier this year, Johnson has been struggling to find his form this season. After failing to make the cut at the recent US Open, his woes continued in Nashville last week where he ended the tournament tied for 51st place.
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