Bryson DeChambeau plans to focus on YouTube if LIV Golf ends
STERLING, Va. — If LIV Golf cannot survive past this season with out Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund’s purse strings, two-time main champion Bryson DeChambeau He mentioned Tuesday that he is ready to develop his YouTube channel and play in tournaments that he desires.
DeChambeau, 32, mentioned he had some conversations with the PGA Tour, however not particularly about what his potential pathway again to his former circuit would possibly appear to be if LIV folds.
“I think, from my perspective, I’d love to grow my YouTube channel three times, maybe even more,” DeChambeau mentioned, whereas practising Tuesday in preparation for this week’s LIV Golf event at Trump National Golf Club.
“I would love to. I’d 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.”
Although DeChambeau did not get into specifics, he prompt that the PGA Tour is ready to hit him with extreme penalties if he desires to come again.
DeChambeau was one of many largest stars to be a part of the breakaway circuit in June 2022, and he was amongst 11 golfers who joined the PGA Tour later that 12 months, alleging he used his monopoly energy to unfairly droop gamers who joined LIV Golf. He withdrew from the federal lawsuit in May 2023.
On Tuesday, DeChambeau described potential punishment from the PGA Tour as “quite unfortunate in my opinion, considering what I could do for them.”
At the identical time, DeChambeau prompt that LIV Golf and the PGA Tour want to work collectively to reunify males’s skilled golf.
The PGA Tour appears to have probably the most leverage now, after the PIF introduced final week that it’ll now not fund the circuit with $30 million purses.
“The egos need to get dropped,” DeChambeau mentioned. “Everybody needs to come in with a level-headed playing field, with an opportunistic mindset to grow the game of golf. That’s why I came over here. That’s why I do what I do on YouTube.”
Before final week’s announcement, DeChambeau believed the PIF would finance LIV Golf by at the least the 2032 season.
“I was completely shocked,” DeChambeau mentioned. “I didn’t expect it to happen. 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 understand, I have not had any communication. And sadly, issues are transferring on in a unique course. Obviously, they wished to transfer on.”
A potential merger between the tours would require concessions from both sides, DeChambeau said.
“If we have now an excellent enterprise mannequin and so they’re very serious about combining forces, that is the Kumbaya second, proper?” DeChambeau said. “So, it is our job to give you a greater marketing strategy on the [top company] aspect. The workforce franchises, there’s sufficient making revenue now to the place we might promote them for shut to $200 million, and that is not speaking about my workforce both.
“I think it requires a little bit of everybody kind of just lowering their guards and all coming together and going, ‘OK, what’s best for the game of golf?'”
DeChambeau mentioned he is assured that LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil and the league’s new impartial board of administrators and advisers will develop a strong marketing strategy that can appeal to new buyers.
“There’s a few different models,” DeChambeau mentioned. “Look, the [PGA Tour] isn’t doing great either. Let’s be honest about the situation. They’ve got the media. They’ve got everybody on the side that helps pump it up. But they’re reducing field sizes, cutting employees and restructuring their business too.”
It will not be lengthy earlier than DeChambeau should resolve his future. His contract with LIV Golf expires after this season.
When DeChambeau was requested if he had issues about PIF not paying out the rest of his contract, he mentioned, “Your guess is as good as mine.”
Earlier Tuesday, O’Neil was requested if DeChambeau would have a brand new contract earlier than he took LIV Golf to market.
“Well, that’s an interesting question,” O’Neil mentioned. “I’m not sure. We’ll sort through and work through. I appreciate the question. Bryson’s special. He’s different and special. … He’s smart, he’s driven, he’s committed, and he’s a heck of a partner.”
