With the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund withdrawing financial support from LIV Golf after the 2026 season, everyone is wondering what’s next. What’s next for the rebel league? And what’s next for its marquee players, namely Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm.
This week at LIV Virginia, Rahm said he “didn’t see a way out” of his contract with LIV, which runs for several years. As for DeChambeau, whose contract expires after the 2026 season, he told multiple outlets, including ESPN again Sports Illustratedthat he is willing to focus on growing his YouTube channel while playing tournaments that “want him” should LIV leave. DeChambeau acknowledged that his team has spoken with the PGA Tour but did not disclose the nature of the discussions. The two-time US Open champion said Skratch ultimately it will be up to PGA Tour members to decide if they want him back.
The Golf Channel’s Gary Williams joined the latest episode of the Subpar podcast to discuss where LIV is going from here and whether he thinks DeChambeau is serious about focusing on YouTube and playing four big hits.
“No, not fully,” Williams told presenters Colt Knost and Drew Stoltz. He’s also the guy who, when he was growing up, became crazy about long drives and started participating in long drive competitions. People who were going, that would discourage you from actually putting points in the box. No, he won’t do that.
Williams said it would be “disappointing” if DeChambeau chose to prioritize YouTube over competitive professional golf as he is currently in the middle of his major tournament window.
“It’s funny that you suggest [focusing on YouTube]”said Williams. “If he does that, it’s disappointing this time – I give him a lot of respect for this: he got Augusta National to a certain extent, where he didn’t know how to solve that Rubik’s Cube. He competes in almost every grade. … He will always be part of the US Open. He will probably always be part of the PGA. He’s sure to be on the first few pages of the leaderboard in a major tournament. I give him credit for that. But he won’t do that, and if he does, he won’t continue to compete in major tournaments. That’s going to be too bad because big tournament windows don’t exist as long as people think they do. ”
When Brooks Koepka left LIV Golf to return to the PGA Tour last December, DeChambeau had all the power in contract negotiations with LIV and PIF. Now that the PIF is out of the equation, Williams sees the PGA Tour as DeChambeau’s only option. The power he had is gone.
“But what happened to him, my analogy about what he thought he should play for, the Yankees and the Dodgers both want him and now the Dodgers don’t care anymore,” said Williams. “That’s the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund. So are the Yankees, the PGA Tour, going to commit? No, not at all.”
