5 hours Ago By Rory Robinson
After Dustin Johnson blessed Pat Perez with a 4Aces contract for the 2024 LIV Golf season, Perez , just one above the cutline. Johnson will now have to decide whether Perez will remain with the team or if he should scout new talent, with his team struggling two years after winning the inaugural LIV Golf team championship. Perez finished last in the open zone for the season, by just 1.
6 points. Players who finished between 25 and 48 became open to the possibility of a trade to another team or being cut altogether due to a lack of production. The 48-year-old American failed to record a top-ten finish during the year despite his team's success in all but two events.
Johnson's 14th-place finish was the best individual effort for the team, which also included . After reflecting on the year, Perez admitted to the media that he "played terrible" during the season but had a nightmare's worth of occurrences in his life this year. He listed an influx of good players added to the LIV tour and balancing work and life as trials faced during the year.
“This happens to be a very mental sport. I have a lot of stuff going on when I'm home, so I haven’t practiced as much. I have the [two] kids.
I don’t have all day to go practice and then it’s 1,000 degrees on top of it," he said. "I haven’t had the clearest mind, to be honest. Hopefully I make it to next year.
I’d love to get a fresh start and try again.” Individually, Perez finished the 2023 season in 28th place with his best performance, resulting in a sixth-place finish in Adelaide. The outing was good enough for Johnson and the 4Aces to renew Perez's contract for another season, making his the first free agent signed that year.
"Couldn’t be more excited. It’s phenomenal to remain a part of LIV. I’m very grateful," he said following the news.
"I think DJ saw the effort. And I think he likes having me on the team. I’m honored to get the deal and have another year.
I’m going to try just as hard next season, if not harder.” 4Aces, consisting of Johnson as captain alongside Perez, , and Harold Varner III, finished tenth out of 13 teams in the 2024 team standings. Their best performance came early in the season at Las Vegas, where they finished second behind the Brooks Koepka-led Smash GC by seven strokes.
Johnson’s 4Aces won the first-ever LIV Golf team championship in 2022 with Perez in the team. Perez famously commented on the pushback of joining the Saudi-backed league and 4Aces, saying he was unphased. “All the pushback, all the negative comments, everything we’ve gotten, at this point I really don’t care.
I mean, I don’t care. I’m paid. I don’t give a damn,” Perez said with a laughter.
The win earned 4Aces $16 million in prize money..
