Bryson DeChambeau is formulating an exit plan from LIV Golf.
He initially said he was committed to making LIV Golf work as long as it was around, after news broke that the Saudi Public Investment Fund had withdrawn support for next season.
But the two-time US Open winner was spotted speaking with PGA Tour officials to weigh his options and has reiterated that he is willing to step away from full-time competition to pursue YouTube full-time. Those aren’t the actions of someone who is totally committed to LIV.
In a recent interview, DeChambeau admitted to being blindsided by the PIF’s withdrawal, but threw some shade at the PGA Tour in the process.
DeChambeau is out of contract with LIV Golf at the end of this season, and throughout his negotiations, he has said he’s willing to step away and pursue content creation full-time. His YouTube channel has over 2 million subscribers, so it’s certainly a possibility.
That’s something he’s still hanging over LIV and the PGA Tour’s heads during his current talks, and speaking to ESPN , the 32-year-old explained how he plans to take the channel to the next level.
He said, “I think, 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.”
PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp made clear that DeChambeau would likely have to accept a harsher deal than the one Brooks Koepka agreed to earlier this year if he does want to return. DeChambeau called that ““quite unfortunate in my opinion, considering what I could do for them.”
DeChambeau would introduce an entirely new demographic of fan to the PGA Tour as one of the most popular players on the planet with the younger generation, so he has some leverage in that sense.
He’s been committed to LIV as the face of the league since signing in 2022, but DeChambeau was blindsided by the PIF’s withdrawal: “I was completely shocked (on PlF pullout), 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 that’s what I was told.
“And then, you know, I haven’t had any communication. And unfortunately, things are moving on in a different direction. Obviously, they wanted to move.”
And as he battles for some leverage with the PGA Tour, DeChambeau threw some stones their way, referencing the recent layoffs the tour had to make, “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.”
The PGA Tour cut 56 staff members in a recent downsizing, some signs that they’re struggling to keep up with their increased purses. They were forced to make those changes when LIV was a threat, but the tour can now clearly afford to walk back their new financial model slightly.
As for DeChambeau, he has a massive opportunity to bolster his leverage in a month’s time.
LIV Louisiana has been postponed. According to the state, it’s because of concerns about LIV’s funding for the event. That leaves a nearly two-month gap in the middle of the LIV calendar, right in the middle of the major season.
DeChambeau will have no competitive action between the US Open and The Open Championship, which presents an ideal opportunity for him to test his YouTube theory.
He can do content creation full-time in the build-up to Royal Birkdale, and if he’s competitive, he has some evidence that he can make it work next season.
If DeChambeau plays poorly, however, all his leverage in negotiations is gone. It could be the most important major DeChambeau has ever played.
