Bryson DeChambeau Can’t Stop Taking Shots At LIV Golf As Trouble Mounts For The Future
Hanging on by a thread.
LIV Golf could use a shot of confidence from its biggest star, Bryson DeChambeau, but not only has the two-time major champion refused to do so, he's been the leading contributor to the growing rumors that 2026 could be his last year on the Saudi-backed circuit.
Just before the calendar turned to the new year, DeChambeau said that "things have got to change, things have got to improve" when it comes to LIV Golf if it wants a future beyond 2026 that includes his talents. He even went as far as to say that "I could just do YouTube golf and be totally fine as well."
The face of your tour admitting publicly he may just turn into a YouTube golfer and presumably just turn up at major championships isn't exactly the message you want out there if you are LIV. Since then, Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed have left LIV, and DeChambeau has confirmed in a formal LIV press conference that he is only "contracted through 2026."
Things are spiraling for LIV Golf, anyone who argues that they aren't is wrong, and the rate at which said spiraling is occurring just got ramped up a few more RPMs.
Bryson's future is entirely up in the air. (Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images)
LIV announced the significant change ahead of the 2026 season that it would be moving from 54 holes to 72 holes, with the clear intent of hoping to earn Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points for the first time in its history.
When the change was first announced back in November, DeChambeau carried the company water so to speak, and stated, "By moving to 72 holes, LIV Golf is taking a proactive step to align with the historic format recognized globally."
Fast-forward to today, and his tune has changed.
"I’ve got a contract for this year, and we’ll go through it there and see what happens after that. Look, it’s 72 holes, it’s changed, but we’re still excited to play professionally and play for what we’re doing and go across the world," DeChambeau told Todays Golfer. "I think it’s going to be great for our [Crushers GC] team. Is it what we ultimately signed up for? No. So I think we’re supposed to be different, so I’m a little indifferent to it right now.
"Hopefully, it weighs positively on me over the course of time, but you never know. I’m not sure. We didn’t sign up to play for 72."
So, just to recap the past few months for LIV Golf: DeChambeau has not come close to committing to a future past 2026 with the circuit, has criticized changes on multiple occasions, and has threatened to quit and play golf on YouTube. Koepka left LIV, leaving millions of dollars on the table and forfeiting millions more in potential earnings to immediately return to the PGA Tour, and Reed opted not to sign a new contract with LIV and play on the DP World Tour until the Fall.
LIV Golf's season begins on Wednesday in Riyadh. DeChambeau will be there, but whether he's happy to be there, well, that's up for serious debate.