STERLING, Va. — If LIV Golf can’t survive this season without Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, two-time major league champion Bryson DeChambeau said Tuesday he’s prepared to grow his YouTube channel and play in the tournaments he wants.
DeChambeau, 32, said he has had some discussions with the PGA Tour, but not specifically about what his path back to his previous tour might look like if LIV folds.
“I think, from my perspective, I’d like to grow my YouTube channel three times, maybe more,” DeChambeau said, while training Tuesday in preparation for this week’s LIV Golf Tournament at Trump National Golf Club.
“I would like to. I would like to make a bunch of recordings in different languages, giving the world more reason to watch YouTube. Then I would like to play in the tournaments that I want.”
Although DeChambeau did not elaborate, he suggested that the PGA Tour is willing to hit him with heavy penalties if he wants to return.
DeChambeau was one of the biggest stars to join the circuit that split in June 2022, and he was among 11 golfers who sued the PGA Tour later that year, alleging that it used its monopoly power to unfairly suspend players who joined LIV Golf. He withdrew from the federal case in May 2023.
On Tuesday, DeChambeau described the potential punishment from the PGA Tour as “very unfortunate in my opinion, considering what I can do for them.”
At the same time, DeChambeau suggested that LIV Golf and the PGA Tour should work together to integrate professional golf for men.
The PGA Tour seems to have more power now, after the PIF announced last week that it would no longer sponsor the region with $30 million in purses.
“Egos need to be lowered,” DeChambeau said. “Everybody needs to come in with a great playing field, an opportunistic mindset to grow the game of golf. That’s why I’m here. That’s why I do what I do on YouTube.”
Before last week’s announcement, DeChambeau believed the PIF would fund LIV Golf through at least the 2032 season.
“I was shocked,” DeChambeau said. “I didn’t expect it to happen. A few months before that, it’s like, ‘We’re here until 2032. We’re funded until 2032,’ so I told everybody, and that’s what I was told.
“And then, you know, I had no communication. And unfortunately, things went in a different direction. Obviously, they wanted to move on.”
A possible meeting between visits would require approval from both sides, DeChambeau said.
“If we have a good business model and they’re very interested in joining forces, that’s Kumbaya time, right?” DeChambeau said. “So it is our job to come up with a better business plan [top company] on the side. Team franchises, there’s enough leverage to make a profit now that we can sell them for close to $200 million, and that’s not even talking about my team.
“I think it takes a little bit for everyone to let their guard down and all come together and go, ‘Okay, what’s good for a game of golf?’
DeChambeau said he hopes LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil and the division’s new board of directors and advisors will build a strong business plan that will attract new investors.
“There are a few different models,” DeChambeau said. “Look, i [PGA Tour] he’s not doing well either. Let’s be honest about the situation. They have media. They have all the sidekicks that help pump it up. But they are reducing field sizes, cutting staff and restructuring their business. “
It won’t be long before DeChambeau decides his future. His contract with LIV Golf expires after this season.
When DeChambeau was asked if he had concerns about PIF not paying the remainder of his contract, he said, “Your guess is the same as mine.”
Earlier on Tuesday, O’Neil was asked if DeChambeau would have a new contract before he left LIV Golf.
“Well, that’s an interesting question,” O’Neil said. “I’m not sure. We’ll work it out and work it out. I appreciate the question. Bryson’s special. He’s unique and special. … He’s smart, he’s driven, he’s dedicated, and he’s a teammate.”
