Time flies. It really does. You probably remember Dustin Johnson as the lean, lanky kid with the "bowed" wrist launching 350-yard drives like they were nothing more than a casual flick of the wrist. Back then, he was the young gun, the guy who seemingly had every major in his pocket before a series of weird heartbreaks—the bunker at Whistling Straits, the grounded club, the three-putt at Chambers Bay—tried to say otherwise.
But honestly? That "young gun" is now 41 years old.
As of early 2026, Dustin Johnson—born June 22, 1984, in Columbia, South Carolina—has officially entered his 40s. It’s a weird age for a golfer. You aren't "old" enough for the Champions Tour, but you're definitely looking at the leaderboard seeing kids born in 2004 who don't even remember your 2016 U.S. Open win.
The Reality of Being 41 in Professional Golf
Forty-one is a crossroads. For most guys, this is where the back starts to cranky. The speed drops. You start talking more about "recovery" and "longevity" than you do about raw power. But DJ has always been a bit of a freak of nature. He stands 6'4", stays incredibly lean, and hasn't really lost that explosive transition at the top of his swing.
Look at the stats. Even now, in the 2026 LIV Golf season, he’s still hovering around that 315-yard driving average. That’s insane. Most guys his age are happy to keep it in the 290s.
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People always ask if he’s still got it. It’s a fair question. 2025 wasn't his best year, truth be told. He struggled at the majors, missing cuts at the Masters and the PGA. It felt like for the first time, the "I don't care" attitude that made him a superstar was actually working against him. You can’t just roll out of bed and beat Scottie Scheffler or Ludvig Åberg when you're 41 unless the putter is red hot.
Why Age is Just a Number for the 4 Aces Captain
He recently signed a multi-year extension with LIV Golf. That tells you two things. One, he’s not retiring anytime soon. Two, he’s still the face of the 4Aces GC.
Being 41 hasn't stopped him from being a massive draw. He just added Thomas Detry to his team for the 2026 season, replacing Harold Varner III. It shows a guy who is still thinking about winning team titles, even if his individual OWGR ranking has tanked due to the whole LIV vs. PGA Tour ranking drama.
The "Gretzky" Factor and Staying Young
You can't talk about DJ’s age without talking about his father-in-law, Wayne Gretzky. Imagine having the "Great One" in your ear about how to handle the back half of a legendary career. Gretzky retired at 38. DJ is already past that.
There’s a specific kind of wisdom that comes with hanging out with the greatest hockey player of all time. You learn how to manage your body. You learn that you don't need to practice for eight hours a day if you're practicing the right things for two.
DJ’s workout routine is actually more intense now than it was when he was 25. He’s working with Joey Diovisalvi (Joey D), focusing on Olympic lifts and plyometrics. Basically, he’s trying to keep his fast-twitch muscles from becoming slow-twitch. If you watch him on the range today, he looks almost identical to the guy who won the 2020 Masters with a record-breaking -20.
What’s Left for Dustin Johnson?
He has 24 PGA Tour wins. Two majors. A FedEx Cup. He’s been World No. 1 for 135 weeks.
What else is there?
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For a guy like DJ, it’s probably about the 2026 U.S. Open and keeping his exemptions. His U.S. Open exemption runs through this year. He’s got the Masters for life. But if he wants to stay relevant in the history books, he needs another big moment before he hits 45.
It’s easy to write off 41-year-olds in sports. We see it all the time. But golf is different. Phil won a major at 50. Tiger won the Masters at 43. DJ has the physical tools to do something similar, provided the motivation stays as high as the ball flight.
Actionable Takeaways for Following DJ in 2026
If you’re tracking Dustin Johnson’s "twilight" years (if you can even call them that), here is what you should actually be looking at:
- Watch the Ball Speed: If DJ stays above 175 mph ball speed, he’s a threat. If that drops into the 160s, the age is finally catching up.
- The Major Exemptions: 2026 is a big year. Since he isn't getting OWGR points on LIV, he has to perform in the majors to stay invited to the Open Championship and the PGA in the future.
- The Putter: DJ wins when he putts average. He dominates when he putts well. At 41, the "scary" part of his game isn't the driver; it's whether he still has the nerves to knock down 10-footers for par.
Keep an eye on the 4Aces results this season. DJ isn't just a player anymore; he's a franchise owner. Whether he's 41 or 51, that cool, calm South Carolina vibe isn't going anywhere.
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To keep up with his actual performance metrics this season, check the official LIV Golf leaderboards rather than the traditional OWGR sites, as the latter won't give you the full picture of how he's actually playing week-to-week against top-tier talent like Rahm and Koepka.