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22 hours ago
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Bryson DeChambeau insists he would focus on his YouTube channel should LIV Golf not survive.
The future of the Saudi-backed breakaway remains in doubt after the country’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) announced plans to withdraw financing at the end of the year, having spent more than $5.4bn on the venture since 2022.
As a two-time major champion, DeChambeau has an exemption to play in golf’s four premier events for at least another two years, but he does not have anywhere else to play outside LIV.
However, DeChambeau has already considered his options should LIV not bring in the necessary funding to continue.
“[If] we don’t find a solution, for me I think it’s really enticing, depending on what everybody says on the [PGA] Tour and what they’re going to strike me with as a penalty, which is quite unfortunate in my opinion, considering what I could do for them,” he said at the LIV Golf Virginia event at Trump National Golf Club near Washington.
“From my perspective, I’d love to grow my YouTube channel three times, maybe even more. I’d love to do a bunch of dubbing in different languages, giving the world more reason to watch YouTube. And then I’d love to play tournaments that want me.”
Asked whether he was concerned about whether LIV would pay up his contract, which expires next year, the American added: “Your guess is as good as mine.
“I was completely shocked [by PIF’s withdrawal], I didn’t expect it to happen. A couple months before that, it’s like, ‘We’re here until 2032. We’ve got financing until 2032’, and so I told everybody. And then I haven’t had any communication and unfortunately things are moving on in a different direction. Obviously, they wanted to move on.”
DeChambeau last week rebutted reports that he had started talks on a possible return to the PGA Tour, calling them “completely untrue”.
“Look, the [PGA Tour] isn’t doing great either. Let’s be honest about the situation,” he said on Tuesday. “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.”
DeChambeau joined LIV Golf in June 2022 on a reported $125m contract that expires at the end of this season. He was among 11 golfers who sued the PGA later that year. The federal lawsuit, which DeChambeau withdrew from in May 2023, alleged that the PGA Tour unfairly suspended players who joined LIV Golf via its monopoly power.
He suggested the two circuits need to work it out to get men’s professional golf back on track.
“The egos need to get dropped,” DeChambeau said. “Everybody needs to come in with a level-headed playing field, with an opportunistic mindset to grow the game of golf. That’s why I came over here. That’s why I do what I do on YouTube.”
