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With rumors swirling that the days might be numbered for LIV Golf, it now appears that superstar Bryson DeChambeau might be looking for a way off of the sinking ship.
Reports of LIV’s demise came funnelling out just prior to the tour’s recent event in Mexico, and those reports only gained steam when the event’s television broadcast went off air shortly after it began. LIV executive Scott O’Neil claims that the tour isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
But reporting from outside the tour doesn’t sound as certain.
As for DeChambeau, he and Jon Rahm serve as the tour’s two biggest names, by far, after Brooks Koepka’s return to the PGA Tour. But both have failed to win a major championship since joining LIV. Most recently, DeChambeau missed the cut at The Masters, while Rahm finished in a tie for 38th.
Rahm then rebounded in Mexico, winning by six strokes. DeChambeau, however, played poorly, withdrawing from the event after shooting 2-over through the first three rounds, which put him nearly 20 strokes off the lead.
Now, a new report suggests he’s already exploring his options should LIV close its doors in the near future.
Bryson DeChambeau Spent Part Of Masters Week Planning Future Amid LIV Troubles
Brody Miller of The Athletic traveled to Mexico for this week’s LIV Golf event to try to get a better feel for the future of the tour.
While he struggled to get concrete answers about the status of LIV moving forward, he did learn more about how DeChambeau and his team are operating amid the ongoing uncertainty.
“DeChambeau and his team spent a part of Masters week meeting with organizations to discuss possible options if he chose to leave LIV,” Miller reports. “Speculation persists that, in the wake of others leaving LIV for the PGA Tour earlier this year, his ask to resign is up to $500 million. DeChambeau has even used his YouTube success as a leverage play with all potential suitors, indicating he’s open to only filming content and playing the four major championships.”
As of now, DeChambeau is fully exempt for all four major championships through at least the 2029 season due to his win at the 2024 U.S. Open.
Should he pursue a route where he only films content and plays in majors, he’d need to continue to have success in those events to extend his exemptions in The Masters, PGA Championship, and British Open. His U.S. Open exemption runs through 2034.
The report also notes that LIV has become more concerned about losing DeChambeau and Rahm, its flagship players, after the losses of Koepka and Patrick Reed earlier this year.
One way or another, it seems as if DeChambeau and his team are ready to find a way forward with or without LIV Golf’s existence.