Two and a half years into his LIV life, Dustin Johnson is knee-deep in trouble. His team 4Aces has scored big on off-course activities, but on the greens, the two-time LIV Golf champion team has lost their luster. The recent lawsuit against the 4Aces logo is just one of the many reasons Johnson might be the captain with the heaviest burden on his shoulder.
Two of Dustin Johnson’s teammates are on the verge of the drop zone
With half the season over, Dustin Johnson might have to start thinking of new teammates. Two of 4Aces’ four-member squad are currently at 47 & 48. LIV Golf drop zone—relegation—starts from 45 onwards. Pat Perez sits at 47 in the season-long standing. The 48-year-old has earned only 7.76 points without a top-10 finish so far.
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Harold Varner III is behind Perez at 48, earning only 7 points courtesy of two 17s (6 points) and a 21 (1 point). If the duo can’t turn things around in the last few events, they need to earn their spot through LIV Golf Promotions. If they fail to earn the three spots available, Johnson might have to look for new teammates.
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4Aces are languishing at the bottom of the leaderboard
4Aces after nine events this season appears to be a ‘once-formidable’ team. DJ’s squad has managed to come within the top three only twice. Barring another 4th palace finish in Houston, 4Aces has mostly languished at the bottom of the table. 4Aces won twice last year, finishing outside the top-6 only twice.
via Imago
Golfer Dustin Johnson waits to tee off on the first hole at LIV Golf Bedminster invitational, part of the new LIV Golf Invitational Series, at the Trump National Golf Club on Sunday, July, 31 2022 in Bedminster, New Jersey. PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxHUNxONLY NYP20220731109 PETERxFOLEY. Image Courtesy: IMAGO
Johnson, himself, has been on a turbulent run since winning at Las Vegas in February. In his last five appearances, the former Masters champion managed to break inside the top-10 only once.
The legal battle that came out of nowhere
Dustin Johnson’s 4Aces is the latest team to get embroiled in legal trouble as the University of Alabama field an opposition to the team’s logo. The 4Aces logo is a mix of the letter ‘A’ and the number ‘4’. The ‘A’ in the logo features a terminal (the end stroke of a letter that curves like a slider) on the left that ends in a star. The middle bar cleaves in two at the right end, while the serif (the short line at the bottom) on the right is again cleaved in two directions.
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The University of Alabama logo on the other hand also features a cursive ‘A’, but the typography is simpler. The Crimson Tide has a swash (a decorative element) on the left of the letter ‘A’. The serifs also give way to two terminals on both sides.
NEW: the University of Alabama has filed an opposition to LIV’s “4 Aces” trademark application, arguing that:
The 4 Aces design contains the “same literal element” as Alabama’s, and the style of the letter “is visually similar to and creates a commercial impression similar to”… pic.twitter.com/YssZQBvNJw
— John Nucci (@JNucci23) July 11, 2024
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John Nucci, a sports law attorney, who first broke the news, suggested that Alabama’s opposition might be a mere formality. Nucci wrote, “Alabama’s opposition could be for the purpose of ensuring they keep up with enforcement/policing of their trademark rather than a genuine belief that they’ll prevail.” Regardless of the actual intention it just adds to the list of Dustin Johnson’s headaches this season.
The 40-year-old needs a strong finish before heading to the Open Championship in Royal Troon next week. Dustin Johnson has missed the cut in two of three majors this year. In the PGA Championship, the lone major where he booked a weekend spot, the 4Aces captain tied for 43.
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