‘Box Office Maker’ Johnson "Please Support the Ratings"

LIV Golf Invitational Tucson Tournament Opening

"Take charge of the box office."

This is the special mission given to Dustin Johnson (USA), the 'world number 1'. On the 18th (local time), at The Gallery Golf Club (par 71, 7,469 yards) in Tucson, Arizona, USA, he will work to boost the viewership ratings at the LIV Golf Invitational Tucson tournament (total prize money $25 million). The Tucson tournament is the second event of the 2023 season of LIV Golf, sponsored by Saudi Arabian capital. Forty-nine players compete over three days in a 54-hole stroke play format to determine the winner. The winner's prize money is a whopping $4 million (approximately 5.2 billion KRW). Additionally, there is a team competition prize of $5 million (approximately 6.5 billion KRW).

Dustin Johnson is set to draw attention at the LIV Golf Invitational Tucson tournament.

LIV Golf suffered a complete defeat in the power struggle against the PGA Tour. Last month’s LIV Golf season opener in Mayakoba lost the viewership battle against the PGA Tour’s Honda Classic held during the same period. The final round of the Mayakoba tournament had 291,000 viewers, while the Honda Classic attracted 2.4 million viewers. Despite LIV Golf featuring top players such as Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau, and Brooks Koepka (all from the USA), and most world-class players skipping the Honda Classic, LIV Golf was overwhelmingly outperformed in TV ratings. This is why LIV Golf is determined to make a strong showing at the Tucson tournament.

Johnson is the flagship player of LIV Golf. Last year, LIV Golf invested $150 million (approximately 196.5 billion KRW) in transfer fees to position him at the forefront of their popularity drive. Johnson is a world star who previously held the world number 1 ranking for 135 weeks, known for his powerful long drives. In 307 tournaments, he has won 24 times including 2 majors, earning a total of $74,897,059 in prize money. In LIV Golf, he won the Invitational Boston tournament last September. Over four months on the LIV Golf stage, he earned $35.76 million. Johnson finished tied for 35th at the Mayakoba tournament and is determined to restore his honor at the Tucson tournament.

Charles Howell III (USA) is aiming for his second consecutive win. Riding the momentum from his 8-under-par final round at the Mayakoba tournament, which secured a 4-stroke victory, he is in strong form. Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Patrick Reed, Bubba Watson (all USA), Henrik Stenson (Sweden), Sergio Garcia (Spain), Paul Casey, and Lee Westwood (both England) are all seeking their first win of the season. Korean-American players such as Kevin Na and Si-Wan Kim (both USA), as well as Danny Lee (New Zealand), are also on the entry list.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.