Bryson DeChambeau has said he would turn his full attention to building his YouTube channel rather than seeking a traditional tour card if the Saudi-backed LIV Golf league collapses.
YouTube plans
The two-time major champion, who has no regular tour to play outside LIV, has already outlined ambitions to expand his online following. “From my perspective, I’d love to grow my YouTube channel three times, maybe even more,” he said at the LIV Golf Virginia event at Trump National Golf Club near Washington. “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.”
DeChambeau’s YouTube channel has already attracted more than 2.5 million subscribers and, according to estimates, generates around $800,000 a year in ad revenue alone from millions of monthly views. LIV Golf’s financial backing has given him the platform and audience to develop that following beyond professional golf.
LIV Golf’s financial uncertainty
The future of the breakaway circuit is in serious doubt after the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF) announced it will withdraw its financial backing after the 2026 season, according to a PIF spokesperson. The fund has poured more than $5 billion into LIV Golf since the league launched in 2021, with total losses through its UK arm alone exceeding £810 million between 2022 and 2024, and reports indicating overall losses of more than $1 billion. The PIF had previously indicated it was committed to financing LIV until at least 2032.
The decision has thrown player contracts into uncertainty. DeChambeau joined LIV in June 2022 on a reported $125 million deal that expires at the end of the 2026 season. There had also been reports that he sought a new contract worth up to $500 million, though that figure remains unconfirmed. Asked directly whether he was worried about being paid, DeChambeau replied: “Your guess is as good as mine. I was completely shocked [by PIF’s withdrawal], 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 then I haven’t had any communication and unfortunately things are moving on in a different direction. Obviously, they wanted to move on.”
LIV Golf is now seeking new investors to secure its survival. An independent board has been established to explore strategic alternatives.
A fractured sport
DeChambeau has ruled out any immediate return to the PGA Tour, calling reports that he had started talks “completely untrue”. He remains one of 11 players who filed an antitrust lawsuit against the PGA Tour in August 2022, alleging that the Tour used its monopoly power to suspend those who joined LIV. DeChambeau withdrew from that lawsuit in May 2023, saying he wanted to focus on competing. LIV Golf itself later joined the case as a plaintiff, and the PGA Tour countersued, including the PIF as a defendant.
Despite his own uncertain position, DeChambeau criticised the state of the PGA Tour. “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.” The PGA Tour has indeed undergone its own restructuring, transitioning into the for-profit entity PGA TOUR Enterprises and implementing layoffs.
DeChambeau, who has an exemption to play in golf’s four major championships for at least another two years, argued that the sport’s future depends on the rival circuits setting aside their differences. “The egos need to get dropped. 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.”
