Bryson DeChambeau is eyeing a potential PGA Tour return after LIV Golf’s Saudi backers pulled support for next season.
The two-time US Open winner admitted he was shocked that the Public Investment Fund withdrew its funding, and is now hinting at his desire to return to the PGA Tour. And he’s ramping up these negotiations in a battle for some leverage.
DeChambeau has threatened to do YouTube full-time if he’s not welcomed back to the PGA Tour, and he threw some shade towards the tour in the meantime.
He said, “Look, the PGA Tour isn’t doing great either. Let’s be honest about the situation. They’ve got the media.”
“They’ve got everybody on the side that helps pump it up. But they’re reducing field sizes, cutting employees, and restructuring their business too.”
It’s true that the PGA Tour recently made 56 layoffs as it downsizes. But to say the tour isn’t doing great, especially in comparison to LIV, is flatly false.
Why Bryson DeChambeau is wrong to say the PGA Tour isn’t going great
If this isn’t solely a negotiation tactic, then DeChambeau has a fundamental misunderstanding of the state of the PGA Tour, especially in comparison to LIV Golf.
As he critiques the field sizes and restructuring, he ignores the reality of the modern sporting landscape and how the PGA Tour looks to find its place within it.
The PGA Tour recently received a $3 billion investment from the Strategic Sports Group, and when an organization transitions from a non-profit to a for-profit entity, it must pivot to maximize returns. That’s why jobs, unfortunately, had to be cut.
And as for the field sizes, that’s part of CEO Brian Rolapp’s future strategy. It’s not a sign that the tour is struggling; it’s just ushering in a new era with a brand new schedule and format.
By focusing on its Signature Events with smaller fields, the tour hopes to concentrate on its biggest names in the biggest events.
Do you agree with Bryson DeChambeau’s assessment of the PGA Tour?
He's also not convinced he should face sanctions were he to return…
And as for the media bias, which is being perpetuated around LIV Golf circles as reports of LIV’s funding struggles surface, there is no agenda here. The media builds up the PGA Tour because it still possesses the competitive stakes that drive viewership. It’s the premier golf tour in the world, so of course it has the most media coverage.
DeChambeau wants to reinvent golf, but is frustrated that fans stick with its traditional roots. But of course they do, because it’s the tour that Tiger Woods once dominated, and that Jack Nicklaus once graced. It is steeped in history, and still has the best players.
Ultimately, DeChambeau is mistaken to view the Tour’s current friction as a death spiral. It is a painful but necessary pivot to compete in a fractured market.
The real reason Bryson DeChambeau criticized the PGA Tour
DeChambeau needs to bring the tour down as he seeks a way back. He’s suggested that he’s unwilling to agree to a deal with the tour like Brooks Koepka did this year, as he sees his value as exponentially higher.
It’s in DeChambeau’s best interests to convince the tour and the golfing world that it needs his star power. If the tour believes it needs his younger audience and celebrity status, then it’s more likely to welcome him back unpunished.
Which player is the biggest loser if LIV Golf is shut down?
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But this is a desperate attempt, unlikely to prove fruitful. The tour is well aware that it holds the cards, and while it would like DeChambeau back, it is far from desperate.
So as the days and months tick down to the end of DeChambeau’s LIV contract, which expires at the end of this year, expect more of this from the YouTube star.
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