Bryson DeChambeau has yet to decide between professional golf and a YouTube-focused career. LIV Golf’s uncertain future has put him in a quagmire, and he has been open about his intentions to play only majors and YouTube golf. So far no other player has commented on it. That is why the news of Haotong Li, a popular player who joined PGA Tour this year, mocking DeChambeau in a public statement, caught everyone by surprise.

A popular golf social media channel quoted Li as saying, “He can do both easily. He has only been playing tournaments on Thursday and Friday and gets cut, so he has the weekend to do the YouTube stuff.” The alleged dig was obvious. Bryson DeChambeau missed the cut at both majors—the Masters and the PGA Championship—this year. Li netted a T38 at Augusta and T35 at Aronimink. However, the four-time DP World Tour winner confirmed the quote attributed to him was false.

“That’s a false rumor! I would never say something like that. He’s a major champion, and I’ve always looked up to him. #Respect @brysondechambeau,” Haotong Li said in a statement on Instagram on May 21. The rumor gained momentum because Li is known for his quick wit and affable personality. But it was surprising considering Li’s past comments on Bryson DeChambeau, where he admitted how trying to copy the major winner’s speed training bungled his own swing.

“I was back in China and had nothing to do, so I started watching Bryson do a lot of things. I started trying to hit big bombs and kind of f—– up my swing. I started hitting those big snap hooks with like 185 [miles per hour] average ball speed,” Haotong Li said in a conversation with Smylie Kaufman on the latter’s YouTube channel. As for DeChambeau, the Crushers GC captain is facing a tough choice.

The two-time U.S. Open winner recently admitted he’s torn between content creation and pro golf. “I’m in that weird space right now. I don’t know what to do: content creation or professional golf.”

A key reason he is skeptical of coming back to the PGA Tour is because of potential financial penalties. He was eligible for the Returning Member Program but chose to pass it and stick with the Saudi-backed league. However, five months later, the situation is markedly different as LIV is scrambling to find a new financial backer in the wake of PIF pulling out of the league.

Bryson DeChambeau is reportedly part of the group that’s meeting with potential investors. He was also hoping for a nine-figure contract extension, but the current financial situation doesn’t bode well for him. Amid all this, DeChambeau has floated the idea of making YouTube golf his preparation for majors, which hasn’t sat well with his fans.

DeChambeau’s fans were divided even before he shared his conundrum. Some understood his situation, while many expressed frustration that a two-time major champion was seriously weighing up a YouTube career over professional golf. It made one thing clear: without teeing off in professional golf tournaments, the relevancy of his content might be lost.

Amidst all the backlash and the memes, DeChambeau has not clarified what he’s going to do next. Interestingly enough, LIV Golf Scott O’Neil hinted at what Bryson’s potential future might look like.

DeChambeau’s LIV dilemma is only getting messier

LIV is now looking to onboard players as its investors. LIV CEO Scott O’Neil said, “Bryson is more pro-LIV than I am,” and confirmed that DeChambeau wants to join investor meetings as the tour looks for new backers.

“As long as LIV is here, I would figure out a way for it to make sense,” said the 32-year-old golfer.

The league is currently trying to raise between $250 million and $350 million from outside investors to continue operations beyond 2026. In fact, they are willing to reduce the number of events to 10 from the current 14, which they believe will help the league become profitable in the next three years.

DeChambeau, notably, said that his return to the PGA Tour will also depend on whether they want him back or not. Clearly, he knows that he has burned a few bridges since he sued the Tour in 2022.

That leaves YouTube as his third option, and possibly, it’s not as far-fetched as it sounds. His Break50 series has built a following that most sports properties need. His channel generated around 20 million views a month in 2024 and estimated annual ad revenue potentially reaching close to $800,000. Whether that balance can coexist with elite-level competitive golf remains unclear.