While many golfers are weighing the options between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour, Bryson DeChambeau believes he could find success eschewing both in favour of YouTube.
“That’s an incredibly viable option, I’ll tell you that,” DeChambeau told Front Office Sports at LIV’s pre-season event.
DeChambeau, 32, said he believes ramping up the golf content he already makes regularly for his 2.6 million subscribers on his YouTube channel could keep him in good enough shape to be competitive in the four major championships.
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“Doing the course record series, and playing Break 50s, it does keep me quite dialled in for tournament golf,” he said.
“That is why I do it right before competition. So, it’s a possibility.
“The financial opportunities are there, and I’m excited to see what comes in the future.”
However, DeChambeau said that he intends to honour the final year of his LIV contract and will not pursue a return to the PGA Tour as part of the Tour’s new Returning Member Program, which he qualifies for as the winner of the 2024 US Open.
Bryson DeChambeau poses with the US Open trophy. Getty
The controversial American signed with LIV in 2022 for a figure he said at the time was $125m USD ($187m AUD in today’s exchange).
DeChambeau told Front Office Sports that one of his goals this year is to “hopefully complete the career Grand Slam”. He would need to win three of the four majors to do so.
The 32-year-old also won the US Open in 2020. He has not won the Masters, PGA Championship or Open Championship but is exempt into all of those through at least 2028.
DeChambeau gave an intriguing response to reporters on Wednesday when asked if he planned to follow Brooks Koepka away from LIV and back to the PGA Tour.
He simply reaffirmed he’s contracted to play with LIV for 2026, but made no commitments beyond that. His reaction prompted many viewers to suggest he wants to leave the rebel league.
Koepka has been welcomed back to the PGA Tour but will suffer a string of financial penalties, including a $7.45 million payment to charity as a start.
The PGA Tour subsequently opened the door for DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, and Australia’s Cameron Smith to follow suit, despite taking hundreds of millions of dollars from the Saudi-backed LIV Golf to jump ship previously.
Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka shake hands. Getty
Smith and Rahm emphatically denied any interest in leaving LIV. DeChambeau was much less staunch in his denials, even posting a photo to social media of himself standing next to an exit sign with the caption, “what would you do?”.
The PGA Tour’s decision to welcome Koepka back has not gone down well with some on the tour, many of whom turned down lucrative offers from LIV under threat of being blacklisted from returning to the world’s premier league.
The PGA Tour has now opened the door for some, but not all to make an immediate return.
Michael Kim said certain golfers “are pissed” about the news while 2023 US Open champion Wyndham Clark conceded it makes him uneasy.
“I personally really like Brooks, and I think it’s ultimately really good for the PGA Tour, but… it’s kind of frustrating that he’s able to get the cake and also eat it,” Clark said.
“I don’t know. I’m very torn.
“I don’t know really how I feel. I wish maybe there was a few more repercussions.”
The PGA Tour boss has predicted Koepka stands to forfeit between $75m and $126m in potential earnings as part of the concessions imposed on his return.
– with Simon Brunsdon