As LIV Golf prepares for its first tournament since the news that it will no longer be funded by the Saudi PIF following this season, questions continue to swirl about what will happen to the league and its players.
LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil spoke at length on Tuesday at Trump National D.C. about a business plan, momentum and strategic changes going forward. Although, as Jon Rahm noted, O’Neil and other LIV executives “have a lot of hard work to do” to secure funding for the future.
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Rahm said Tuesday he has several years left on his contract. But as for LIV’s most prized possession, Bryson DeChambeau? He’s only signed through the end of 2026. What he does next is one major storyline, not only for the long-term health of LIV but the future of the pro golf landscape.
He already has ideas if he doesn’t return to LIV or if the pathway back to the PGA Tour doesn’t pan out.
“I think, from my perspective, I’d love to grow my YouTube channel three times, maybe even more,” DeChambeau told a few outlets, including ESPN and SI, on Tuesday. His YouTube channel has 2.7 million subscribers. “I would love to. 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.”
DeChambeau told them he had conversations with the PGA Tour but did not discuss what a return could look like.
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Brooks Koepka went from LIV to the PGA Tour earlier this year via the Returning Member Program but paid a hefty price to do so. DeChambeau — along with Rahm and Cameron Smith — also had a chance to return under those same circumstances but declined. A potential path back to the PGA Tour will likely be different now, especially since DeChambeau, unlike Koepka, was once involved in a lawsuit against the Tour.
Although despite LIV’s uncertain future, DeChambeau said the PGA Tour “isn’t doing great either.”
“Let’s be honest about the situation,” he told reporters. “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.”
O’Neil was asked Tuesday how DeChambeau’s contract situation (whether he has one or not) affects funding efforts for next year.
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“Well, that’s an interesting question,” he said. “I’m not sure. We’ll sort through and work through. I appreciate the question. It’s just Bryson’s special. He’s different and special. You want to talk about a business partner, we’re literally talking about the future of LIV Golf, I’m talking with him about how does he see, not just the golf, but the business. He’s smart, he’s driven, he’s committed, and he’s a heck of a partner.”
DeChambeau told GOLF.com he sees the current LIV uncertainty as an opportunity.
“Any time a door closes, another one opens,” he said. “I don’t think if a door closes, you’re just locked in forever. For us, this is the opportunity that we have in this country and also internationally, the freedom and the opportunity to build businesses. If it’s restructured in the right way, and people see the value of team golf, and want to be a part of something special, I think there’s opportunity out there.”
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