Dustin Johnson is a golf apparel free agent after cutting ties with Adidas following a 15-year ambassadorship for the brand.
The LIV Golf pro — who is an equity owner and captain of the league’s 4Aces GC team — and the company “mutually agreed to part ways,” Adidas Golf president Jeff Lienhart said in a statement to ESPN. A source told the outlet that Johnson’s “amicable separation” with Adidas is to focus on building the 4Aces brand.
“We’ve mutually agreed to part ways with long-time Adidas athlete, Dustin Johnson,” Lienhart said. “For more than 15 years, Dustin has been a great ambassador for the Adidas brand. We’ve had a front-row seat to see him win multiple major championships, ascend to the No. 1 ranking and cement himself as one of the best golfers in history — all while wearing the 3-Stripes. We wish Dustin nothing but success moving forward.”
Johnson “needed a clean break to start his team,” a source told the outlet, referring to the 38-year-old building his 4Aces brand.
“As good as the relationship with Adidas has been, it just didn’t fit in his plans,” the source said. “A major part of starting a team is establishing a brand identity and building that brand. The primary asset is the shirt … They [Adidas] want the entire shirt. DJ needed a clean break to start his team. He’s grateful to Adidas for letting him out of the deal.”
The source added that Johnson plans to continue wearing Adidas shoes, although he won’t be compensated by the company. Johnson, who’s been with Adidas for his entire pro career, signed another long-term deal with the company in 2016.
RBC (Royal Bank of Canada) also ended its relationships with Johnson and Graeme McDowell after their participation in the first LIV Golf Invitational Series event in June. RBC sponsors a number of PGA Tour events.
Johnson’s deal with TaylorMade reportedly has not changed. He has been with the golf equipment company since turning pro in 2007 and signed a multi-year extension with the equipment maker in 2021.
An Adidas spokesperson also said that the brand chose not to renew its longtime relationship with 2017 Masters champion Sergio Garcia, who is captain of LIV Golf’s Fireballs GC team.
Adidas also sponsors LIV Golf’s Joaquin Niemann, as well as PGA Tour pros Collin Morikawa and Xander Schauffele.
Several LIV golfers have either lost or given up sponsorships as the Saudi-Backed league’s rivalry with the PGA Tour continues.
Phil Mickelson lost sponsorships with a number of brands, including Amstel, KPMG and Workday, while UPS cut ties with Lee Westwood after more than a decade of working together.
Bryson DeChambeau, who won the 2020 U.S. Open at Winged Foot, reportedly ended his deals with Cobra equipment and Puma Golf apparel. He was recently seen with a TaylorMade Stealth2 Plus, PING i230 irons and Cuater “The Ringer” golf shoes.
LIV’s second season begins with its inaugural 2023 event at Mayakoba in Mexico on Friday.
