Bryson DeChambeau has not given up on LIV Golf and seems intent on making the breakaway circuit succeed instead of rejoining the PGA Tour, despite Donald Trump's wish to see him compete against the likes of Rory McIlroy. The future of the rebel league hangs in the balance after Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) announced it would be pulling its backing at the end of the season.
DeChambeau's Commitment to LIV Golf
LIV attracted some of golf's most prominent names, including DeChambeau and fellow major champion Jon Rahm. With doubt surrounding the circuit, there is now conjecture over who might seek a return to the established tour. Despite the possibility of sanctions, Trump wants to see a comeback enabled. 'I want to see Rory [McIlroy] playing Bryson DeChambeau,' he said. 'I want to see Jon Rahm playing Scottie [Scheffler]. They have great players on the LIV. People want to see that. That's why the Masters were so good, because you saw everybody together.'
Two-time US Open champion DeChambeau is not folding so easily, even though his contract with LIV Golf also comes to a close at the end of the season. The American is not considering a return to the PGA Tour for the moment and made that clear after claims he's contacted them about a return. 'I'm working as hard as I can to find a solution,' DeChambeau told Flushing It Golf. 'I'm committed to making team golf work in the best way possible. I think there's a place for it in the ecosystem and I want to continue to grow the game across the world. That's always been our mission, and it's never been more true than now.'
Contract Negotiations and Future Plans
Back in June 2022, DeChambeau made the switch to LIV on a reported $125 million (£91.9 million) deal, and was said to be chasing a $500 million (£368 million) contract to secure his long-term future with LIV prior to recent developments. However, he remains hopeful a deal can still be struck. 'We're still working on a potential contract,' DeChambeau said. 'I haven't given up on that and I think there will be a solution. But as of right now, my job is to help make the league work after this year.'
'I just feel like I have a responsibility. I've put a lot of effort into it. So that's what I'm going to do, we're going to make this work.' DeChambeau added, 'There's a lot of moving parts like in any business. It's a startup, right? And so there's going to be times where we're squeezed and punched. This is one of those moments. But I'm going to do everything in my power to make it work and I really see the value in franchise golf.'
Junior Golf Programme Development
Turning his attention to LIV's future prospects, DeChambeau disclosed that the breakaway tour is currently developing a junior golf programme. 'We're building a bunch of junior golf events right now and each (LIV) team is looking to build junior golf academies,' he said. 'That's something that we've been working on for almost three or four months now. We're looking to host an event here coming up, probably in the next, I'd say, couple of months.'
