Bryson DeChambeau has been accused of “playing chicken” in a failed attempt to take over club manufacturer LA Golf, resulting in a split between the two parties.
The two-time US Open champion, who plays on the LIV Tour, had been an ambassador for LA Golf, with whom he worked extensively on the development of new clubs.
According to Reed Dickens, who founded LA Golf and was once the assistant press secretary to George W Bush, DeChambeau made a major misjudgment when he came forward with his pitch.
“Bryson and I actually have some of the same tendencies, and I have nothing but respect for him,” Dickens told Golf.com. “But he has this new consultant, a McKinsey-consulting type guy, and this guy says to me that Bryson is gonna walk unless he gets 51 per cent.
“Bryson’s got two per cent of the company. And I think the guy doesn’t realise that he’s dealing with a redneck. And I say, ‘There’s no path for that’. They played chicken with me, and now we’re going to graciously part ways.”
Dickens also believes his company is no longer the right fit for DeChambeau who, as a physics graduate, has a huge hands-on interest in equipment development. “Bryson needs someone serving him 24 hours a day, he needs somebody to build him his own clubs, and that’s not scalable for us,” Dickens said. “We partnered with the golfer, who is more active than any golfer on social media, and I’m very grateful for that.”