feature-image

Imago

feature-image

Imago

When Bryson DeChambeau stepped onto The Club at Chatham Hills on Thursday, his future remained unclear. His LIV Golf contract was nearing its end with the Indianapolis finale, while the breakaway league itself faced mounting uncertainty. But the two-time major champion may have quietly offered a glimpse into what comes next. 

Watch What’s Trending Now!

“It was a good run,” he wrote his first word message on Instagram, sharing a bunch of pictures of his wins in the league. 

ADVERTISEMENT

If he indeed leaves the breakaway tour, it would be a bit of a shock. After all, DeChambeau asked the sport to resist writing off the breakaway league just yet. Speaking Thursday, the two-time major champion called for an open-minded approach, urging LIV to be given another opportunity to prove itself beyond this season.

Your new favorite golf game — The Daily Nine
83% of our readers couldn't break par yesterday

Changing winds, tricky bunkers, and quirky breaks test every shot. Beat par, compare scores, and return tomorrow for a new challenge.

TEE OFF HERE

Not to mention, The Athletic reported that DeChambeau, who joined LIV Golf in June 2022, was seeking a massive $500 million contract extension to remain with LIV Golf. Of course, being the biggest name on the league’s roster, he had plenty of leverage to pull over the breakaway tour. He also explored his options with other organizations during Masters week.

Get the Essentially Golf Newsletter. The pulse of today's golf world — daily news from fairways across the globe and tips to improve your game.

ADVERTISEMENT

But there’s no clarity on that front. He could also lean more on the YouTube side of things, having built a massive following on the platform, and just play the four majors. Yet, for a league in LIV’s position, giving Bryson half a billion dollars might not have been possible. This could leave them without a trump card to show off. 

Bryson’s five-word confession came after veteran Ian Poulter also expressed doubts over whether he wants to remain in the league. So, clearly DeChambeau isn’t the only one contemplating an exit. But DeChambeau hasn’t officially confirmed whether he is leaving LIV Golf, In the meantime, LIV continues to struggle with its existence. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Even though CEO Scott O’Niel revealed that they have secured a lead investor, there’s no clarity on what the deal is and who this lead investor is. Anywho, LIV is now aiming to establish its LIV 2.0 era with players becoming majority equity holders in the league via a structured vesting schedule, marking a first for a major global sports league.

Aside from the lead investor, the league has reported interest from more than a dozen other potential minority partners to build long-term commercial stability. The upcoming era aims to rely less on unlimited sovereign backing and more on commercial discipline, scaled-down team events, global ‘Team Majors,’ and potential collaborative scheduling with other golf tours.

ADVERTISEMENT

But at the end of the day, the sun appears to be setting on Bryson DeChambeau’s time at the breakaway league. Only time will tell what he does next.

ADVERTISEMENT

Share this with a friend:

Link Copied!

ADVERTISEMENT

Written by

author-image

Sudeep Sinha

4,797 Articles

Sudeep Sinha is a Golf Writer at EssentiallySports, covering the PGA Tour, LIV Golf, and the storylines around the sport's biggest events and names. He previously spent over two years writing in the Boxing department, where his fight-night coverage was featured on Sports Illustrated, Daily Mail, and Yahoo Sports, including his reporting on Ryan Garcia's career arc. On the golf beat, Sudeep covers tour news, player form, and the season-long storylines that shape the men's and women's game, from majors to the ongoing shifts in how professional golf is structured. That same appetite for detail that made his boxing coverage stand out now shows up in how he breaks down a swing change or a schedule shakeup for hardcore and casual fans alike. Outside work, he splits his time between reading, cycling, and following combat sports.

Know more

ADVERTISEMENT