LIV Golf's demise is sealed, but Bryson DeChambeau looks back without regret and is keeping his next moves close to his chest. The man who once turned the golf universe upside down with his switch spoke publicly for the first time on Sunday after the controversial tour announced its definitive closure.
In 2022, he was one of the most prominent names to defect from the traditional PGA Tour to the multi-million dollar LIV. Even when Saudi financiers pulled the plug this year and the plan for a "LIV 2.0" was shelved, the two-time US Open champion staunchly defended the breakaway tour. While others like Jon Rahm had already fled, he held the flag high. After LIV definitively announced its end on Thursday, DeChambeau expressed his gratitude for the experience.
"I won't rewrite the last four years," DeChambeau said. "I made a decision I believed in and I'm grateful for what came out of it: playing in front of new and old fans worldwide who rarely got to see the best players live." The "record crowds" in Adelaide and Johannesburg will "stay with him for the rest of his life," he emphasized. "I believed that this sport could reach more people in more places in a new way. I still believe that. And I gave my all to keep team golf alive."
DeChambeau remained confident that LIV Golf's unique team format could be genuinely strong in the future. "I still believe in team golf. It might look different in the future, but I continue to believe it's essential for the game's development."
Some ex-LIV stars have already announced their intention to play on the DP World (European) Tour next season – a potential path to eventually returning to the US PGA Tour. DeChambeau, who also commercially profits significantly off the course with his highly successful YouTube channel, revealed no precise plans for his golf future. Only an appearance at the Nedbank Golf Challenge next month in South Africa is confirmed. But the famously notorious, confident star promised to approach his next step with "humility and respect".
"Arnold Palmer said no player is bigger than the game, and I want to acknowledge that I've said some things along the way that weren't helpful," he admitted. "Whatever comes next, I will approach it with humility and respect for the people who carried this game long before me." Beyond the Nedbank Golf Challenge, "I will approach whatever comes next in the right way," he added.
