Rex Hoggard has admitted that he is shocked by Bryson DeChambeau's apparent faith that he can turn LIV Golf's fortunes around, with the league seemingly struggling to fill its roster for the 2027 season.
There has not been much good news for those associated with LIV Golf in recent weeks. Most of the updates have concerned players leaving the league following the decision to file for bankruptcy in September.
Interestingly, DeChambeau has not publicly confirmed where he will be playing his golf in 2027. Instead, it is the likes of Richard Bland, Brendan Steele, Ben Campbell, and Cameron Tringale who have committed to staying with LIV for its relaunch.
DeChambeau did give the clearest hint yet that he will sign up for LIV 2.0 this past week, with the two-time US Open champion reiterating his belief in the concept during an interview on the Figuring Out Podcast.
And speaking on the Golf Channel Podcast following that interview, Rex Hoggard insisted that he is somewhat baffled by DeChambeau's perspective on his future.
"It seems to me he continues to be on the fence, leaning towards 2.0. And it seems to me that he's made it clear that the team model, the franchises, the equity that players have been offered in whatever 2.0 is going to look like, that's appealing to him," he said.
"The other half of it is though what in the world could that league possibly look like with Bryson DeChambeau and fill in the blank for, I think we've come to the conclusion that you probably need 35, 40 other players to make the league, look like? I don't know about you, I haven't seen one name out of those other 35, 40 players that would be compelling. But maybe that's not important to him either, maybe he feels like he can build that product on his own.
"That's a level of narcissism that shocks me a little bit. I can see Bryson DeChambeau looking round and thinking to himself, yes, I can make this work even with this group of players. That is shocking to me, but it's clear that he's leaning in that direction."
Perhaps DeChambeau truly believes that BC Partners can build a tour that will one day rival the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour. He has never been afraid to take risks in the hope of making a greater impact on the game.
However, as things stand, it appears that DeChambeau is simply relishing the prospect of being, by far, the biggest star on LIV. He can have a huge say on the decisions that are made, well aware that LIV cannot afford to lose him.
DeChambeau is a world-class player. He is a two-time major champion. However, it is incredibly important for his brand that he stands out.
There would be a real buzz if he returned to the PGA Tour. But that novelty would disappear if he could not compete with the likes of Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy on a consistent basis.
This way, he remains one of the most intriguing figures in the game, with many wondering whether he knows something that the rest of the world does not.
