More than anyone else, it was Bryson DeChambeau who was the face of LIV Golf.
Amid whatever difficulties the offshoot golf competition encountered, DeChambeau stayed. Others left, or wavered, or created doubt about where they stood.
DeChambeau, though, was a constant. He was there from the beginning, making plenty of money, and glad to stick it out as LIV tried to make its way in the sport.
Now, that’s all left uncertain. LIV Golf has filed for bankruptcy and is shutting down after not getting a new partner after its Saudi Arabian backers pulled out of their financial role.
For DeChambeau as much as anyone, there will be uncertainty.
LIV Golf News
The Athletic reported the official breakdown of LIV Golf’s bankruptcy filing like this:
In a New Jersey bankruptcy court hearing Thursday that lasted 13 minutes, LIV Golf’s lawyers announced formal plans to pivot from restructuring to full liquidation. LIV’s remaining assets, including real estate and trademarks, will be sold off as the company gradually shutters.
The focus is no longer on how to rebuild LIV Golf into a new, fiscally conservative business. The bankruptcy process will now prioritize paying creditors from the tour’s assets, with the official wind-down progress set to begin by Monday, lawyers said.
The league has given up hope of playing more golf. It’s just trying to figure out how to manage its finances before it vanishes entirely.
And now there’s a whole bunch of golfers who don’t know what comes next.
For DeChambeau more than anyone, this is the last news he needed. This was his movement on the course, in a way. He’ll have to figure out what comes next.
Bryson DeChambeau’s Future
It has been speculated for a while that if DeChambeau needed to, he could simply golf on YouTube and earn plenty of money that way. It’s true, at least from a financial perspective.
But it’s also been clear throughout DeChambeau’s career just how competitive he is. Would he go for such a route permanently?
This is a guy who wears his emotions on his sleeve as he tries to win majors. While he may have a bit of anti-establishment to his personality, too, a future away from tour entirely would be a bold move.
The Athletic had more details on DeChambeau in an article Thursday afternoon:
The most interesting question. While DeChambeau told ESPN in May that he could focus purely on his popular YouTube channel and use his major exemptions to play in those championships, following through on that would be an unprecedented move from any professional golfer, much less a two-time U.S. Open champion who, at 33, remains one of the best players of his generation.
DeChambeau did commit to play a DP World Tour event next month in South Africa, and The Telegraph reported DeChambeau reached out to the DPWT in September about playing events in 2027. Still, that is different from applying for a full membership. DeChambeau hasn’t yet disclosed his plans.
This is going to be a fascinating road back from LIV for DeChambeau, wherever his path leads — and the journey starts now.
Bryson DeChambeau’s Bad News Clouds Future After LIV Golf