Bryson DeChambeau says he will prioritise growing his YouTube channel if LIV Golf fails rather than pursuing a return to the PGA Tour.
Last week, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) announced it would cut funding to the breakaway LIV Golf league after the conclusion of the 2026 season. In a statement, the PIF said the “substantial investment required is no longer consistent, with the fund’s investment strategy moving forward.”
As one of LIV Golf’s biggest stars — alongside Jon Rahm, who recently reached a resolution with the DP World Tour to pay outstanding fines as part of an agreement to return to that circuit — DeChambeau’s future has become a focus of speculation.
“I think, from my perspective, I’d love to grow my YouTube channel three times, maybe even more,” DeChambeau told ESPN. He currently has about 2.69 million subscribers. “I would 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 said egos need to be dropped and stakeholders should approach the situation with a cooperative mindset aimed at growing the game. “That’s why I came over here. That’s why I do what I do on YouTube,” he added.
On the topic of potential punishments or fines to re-join the PGA Tour, he said: “It’s quite unfortunate in my opinion, considering what I could do for them.”
The 32-year-old admitted he was shocked by the PIF announcement, saying he had been led to believe LIV had financing through 2032. “I was completely shocked,” he said. “A couple months before that, it’s like: ‘We’re here until 2032. We’ve got financing until 2032,’ and so I told everybody, and that’s what I was told. And then, you know, I haven’t had any communication. And unfortunately, things are moving on in a different direction.”
DeChambeau discussed the potential for a unified approach among tours: “If we have a great business model and they’re [PGA Tour, DP World Tour] very interested in combining forces, that’s the Kumbaya moment, right? So, it’s our job to come up with a better business plan on the [top company] side. The team franchises, there’s enough making profit now to where we could sell them for close to $200m, and that’s not talking about my team either.”
He also noted his major exemptions: DeChambeau won the 2023 US Open, giving him an exemption there through 2033, while his guaranteed entries to The Masters, The Open and the PGA Championship extend until 2028.
LIV CEO Scott O’Neil, asked whether the league would seek to reach an agreement with DeChambeau on his contract before taking the business to investors, called DeChambeau “different and special” and said they would “sort through and work through” potential discussions, praising him as a smart, driven partner.
Speaking to the Sky Sports Golf Podcast, PGA Tour and DP World Tour player Billy Horschel said offers to certain players are likely to change if initial negotiations break down. “I would think going forward with those three players, if they do offer something, it’s going to be a different offer,” Horschel said. He added there will likely be “some form of a road for a lot of these guys,” though he expressed doubt about a PGA Tour return for Phil Mickelson given past controversies.
DeChambeau expressed hope for less bickering and more competition that drives innovation. “Going forward, it is going to be nice to have the players who want to get back to playing PGA Tour golf, the guys that want to be back playing on the DP World Tour, under one big umbrella, is somewhat harmonious.”