Bryson DeChambeau said to have missed out on multi-million dollar pay day after Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy benefit from it

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Bryson DeChambeau is among the star names headlining the return of LIV Golf this week as he aims to get off to a strong start at LIV Golf Riyadh.

DeChambeau took on the International Series India earlier this month, where he was joined by Joaquin Niemann, who finished second in the 2024 LIV Golf individual points list.

Brandel Chamblee has questioned Niemann’s ability ahead of the season-opener, with the Chilean having finished second to champion Jon Rahm last time out.

Sergio Garcia took third, with Tyrrell Hatton and Brooks Koepka completing the top five as DeChambeau finished eighth.

As it continues its tussle with the PGA Tour, the opening event of the Saudi-backed LIV Golf coincides with the WM Phoenix Open.

Bryson DeChambeau told he should have joined Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy on PGA Tour PIP list

World number one Scottie Scheffler headlines the PGA Tour competition in Arizona, with Rory McIlroy the most recent champion after his AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am success.

Both players clinched top three spots on the PGA Tour’s Player Impact Program (PIP) in 2024, with Ryan Lavner namedropping DeChambeau with regards to the scheme, which has now come to an end.

“What is Bryson DeChambeau going to do for an encore?” he said on the Golf Channel Podcast with Rex & Lav. “You could make the case that last summer, last April-June, he was the biggest star in all of golf.

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“He had just won a second US Open title, a thrilling duel with Rory McIlroy, he was having every fan at Pinehurst touch the trophy.

“He was doing the social media rounds, elevating his platform that way. His YouTube page is blowing up. But we have not really seen him on a worldwide stage since The Open Championship and that’s a huge bummer.

“I remember sitting with you at Troon and he missed the cut and was like we are not going to see Bryson DeChambeau on a stage like that in nine months, until the Masters.

“It doesn’t feel right that his level of exposure and his stardom are not quite equated. You look at what he did at least on LIV last year.

“He was LIV’s biggest star, but he was the eighth best on their points standings. He didn’t win and only had a couple of top fives.

“For Bryson to maintain this level he needs to become a dominant player on the circuit he is playing 14 times.

“I am keen to see if he leans more on to the social aspect, or if he still has enough form to pop up at the major championships as he did at the Masters, PGA and US Open.

“To me Bryson is the most compelling player on LIV and I want to see if he can elevate himself in new ways in that circuit as well, not just what he does on YouTube and what he could do at the majors.”

2024 PGA Tour PIP payouts as Bryson DeChambeau ranking suggested

DeChambeau dominated the headlines when he made the shock defection from the PGA Tour to LIV Golf in June 2022, undoubtedly leaving a big hole in the former.

He has since really ramped up his social media presence, which includes his now-iconic YouTube channel, which currently has 1.71 million subscribers.

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But given his presence on the LIV Golf tour, there was, of course, no room for the American on the PGA Tour’s PIP scheme in 2024.

Introduced in 2021, the program aims to reward the 10 players who generate the most positive media interest.

Based on criteria such as internet searches, TV sponsor exposure and fan awareness among others, Woods topped the list in 2024 for the third time in four years.

Asked if DeChambeau should have received some of the final PIP money, Lavner responded: “Yes. I think it’s safe to say he would have been no worse than number two.”