As players begin to follow Jon Rahm out of the LIV Golf exit door, all eyes are on Bryson DeChambeau…
It was only nine months ago that Bryson DeChambeau held all the cards. As he sat in a plush conference suite of a Florida hotel, the two times US Open champion was previewing LIV Golf’s upcoming season while acutely aware that an open offer was on the table to return to the PGA Tour.
It seemed DeChambeau could go one of two ways: Follow Brooks Koepka back to his old domain by making some concessions, or hold out for a renewal to his LIV contract that would be worth hundreds of millions.
DeChambeau told TG in January that he was “surprised” his old foe Koepka was willing to accept the terms of the PGA Tour’s Returning Members’ Program, which included a $5million fine and an inability to access the circuit’s new equity plan for five years.
“I didn’t know he’d be willing to give that much back,” he said. “That’s everybody’s prerogative. That’s everybody’s prerogative. Everybody has their own wants and needs.”
At that stage, the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund withdrawing its backing from LIV could not have been anticipated. But now DeChambeau’s own wants and needs have been forced to change considerably, as the league’s bankruptcy goes through the courts and the Californian ruminates on whether to commit his future to LIV 2.0.
He is LIV’s biggest superstar and, after Jon Rahm finally confirmed his intentions to leave, is now even more decisive to the league’s hopes of existing in 2027.
If DeChambeau does look elsewhere, an immediate return to the PGA Tour does not seem to be forthcoming, given its CEO Brian Rolapp has now repeatedly insisted that the January program was a one-time only window. So if DeChambeau would like to go back to the US circuit, he will not be free to do so until August 2027 once he has served a year-long suspension.
What we do know at this stage is that DeChambeau’s next start will come on the DP World Tour.
After an almost three-month competitive break, DeChambeau will play in the Nedbank Challenge in South Africa in December. His presence will be a boon to the $6million event, but Telegraph Sport has reported that DeChambeau’s management has also contacted the DP World Tour about the possibility of further starts on the circuit.
That would be a fascinating move, given DeChambeau’s rivalry with Rory McIlroy. He has not made a regular start on the DP World Tour in six years but is a former winner of the Dubai Desert Classic, and the circuit would potentially enable DeChambeau to accrue starts around the turn of the year.
DeChambeau isn’t necessarily seeking DP World Tour membership, like a number of his other LIV colleagues, and a decision on his future is expected before the end of the month.
In the meantime, an exodus of LIV players is slowly beginning. Talented Spaniard David Puig has followed Rahm out of the exit door, while Adrian Meronk, Sergio Garcia and Cameron Smith are all rumored to be considering their own futures.