Bryson DeChambeau made it clear that he has no plans to leave LIV Golf.
His contract with the tour is up at the end of 2026, and he’s yet to re-sign. He was also seen speaking to PGA Tour officials about a potential return at The Masters. But the two-time US Open winner insists he’s not going anywhere.
Speaking to Flushing It, DeChambeau said, “As of right now, my job is to help make the league work after this year. I just feel like I have a responsibility. I’ve put a lot of effort into it. So that’s what I’m going to do, we’re going to make this work. As long as LIV is here, I would figure out a way for it to make sense.”
That’s pretty unequivocal. The Saudi Public Investment Fund is withdrawing funding from the league at the end of this season, so LIV Golf’s future is in serious doubt. But having DeChambeau’s assurances that, as long as there’s a league, he’ll stay, is pivotal if they want to secure new investment.
But judging from what he said about the PGA Tour shortly before signing with LIV Golf, this statement is effectively worthless.
What Bryson DeChambeau said about the PGA Tour shortly before joining LIV Golf
DeChambeau joined LIV Golf shortly after the league’s inception. The American announced his move in June 2022, but just months earlier, he was singing a totally different tune.
In February that same year, he posted to his social media: “While there has been a lot of speculation surrounding my support for another Tour, I want to make it very clear that as long as the best players in the world are playing the PGA Tour, so am I.
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“As of now, I am focused on getting myself healthy and competing again soon. I appreciate all the support.”
So what changed? Only two big names joined LIV Golf between DeChambeau’s comments and his defection to LIV: Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson. Both were great players in their primes, but not the needle movers in 2022 to make DeChambeau believe that the PGA Tour no longer had the best players.
In 2022, DeChambeau proved his word really doesn’t mean all that much, so why would we believe him now?
Bryson DeChambeau’s options as LIV Golf contract expires
DeChambeau’s LIV contract is up at the end of this season, and his negotiations with the tour have been fierce. He’s reportedly asking for $500 million, and while that might have been possible when the Saudi’s funded the operation, it’s extremely unlikely to happen now.
So, unless he’s willing to step down significantly from that number, DeChambeau may be looking elsewhere. He was seen talking to PGA Tour officials at The Masters as he explored his options to take a Brooks Koepka-esque deal.
Under the returning member program, Koepka, DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, and Cameron Smith were allowed back on the PGA Tour as long as they pay $5 million to charity, accept that they’ll receive no FedEx Cup bonus money or sponsor exemptions for Signature Events.
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DeChambeau didn’t take that deal then, but he may receive a similar one in the future.
Alternatively, he’s threatened both LIV and the PGA Tour by saying he could step away from full-time competition to become a content creator, and only play the majors. His YouTube channel has over 2 million subscribers, so it’s possible, but how can he expect to win a major without playing regularly in pro events?
So while there are a number of options on the table for DeChambeau, it doesn’t seem like he’s completely happy with any of them. But his LIV contract expires in August, so he has a big decision to make soon.
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