Out of the mouth of Bryson
Moon-landing denier had a lot to say in Korea about critics and what fuels him; Stray Shots
Bryson DeChambeau was loquacious ahead of LIV Golf Korea event (Pedro Salado/LIV Golf)
It has been a tumultuous month for Bryson DeChambeau, whose golf game has been surprisingly suspect in the major championships and whose reputation as the face of LIV Golf has taken some shots as the league fights to survive.
But give the two-time major champion credit. He showed up in South Korea in a good mood, talking positively about his game and the ability of LIV Golf to find a way forward.
While he shed no new light on his moon-landing skepticism relayed on a recent podcast, DeChambeau spoke at length on more down-to-earth topics. He reiterated his surprise at the Public Investment Fund’s decision to pull its funding from LIV Golf after this year but expressed mild confidence that, with his support, the league could continue after this year.
Speaking for the first time since missing the cut at the PGA Championship — he did not talk to reporters after the first or second rounds at Aronimink — DeChambeau said he is “giving all he can” to assure that LIV survives beyond this year.
“We were surprised that they pulled out as quickly as they did,” DeChambeau said at Asiad Country Club in Busan, South Korea, site of this week’s LIV Golf Korea event. “We didn’t really see that coming. But that’s okay. One door closes, another opens. I think that’s the way a lot of us are looking at it.
“We all have optimism that there is a business plan that makes sense for team golf. I’d quite honestly actually — how do I say it? — I’m very optimistic with the business plan of team golf compared to other models, in my opinion.”
It has been approximately a month since the PIF, Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, announced that it would no longer support LIV Golf beyond this year.
LIV has spent some $5 billion as it plays its fifth season and is said to be considering a pared down schedule and significant cost-cutting going into next year.
Most involved with LIV were caught off guard by the PIF decision, and CEO Scott O’Neil has added two board members and an investment entity in an attempt to shore up funds to continue in 2027.
“Other models have worked, as well, so I’m not going to say that one is better than the other,” DeChambeau said. “But I do see value in what team golf can provide not only worldwide but also in grass rooting the game of golf. National support, team national support, city local support, we grass root ourselves there. There are a couple ideas that we have — quite a few ideas that we have that could be interesting.
“We’ll see if investors like it or not. I’m giving all I can to make it happen, and if it doesn’t, it doesn’t happen.”
DeChambeau said he went on investor visits with O’Neil a few weeks ago when LIV was playing in Virginia. This week’s event in South Korea is followed immediately by a trip next week to Spain. There is then a week off before the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills.
This is LIV’s eighth event of the year and DeChambeau has more or less become the face of the league along with Jon Rahm. While’s Rahm’s under contract beyond 2026, DeChambeau’s contract expires at the end of this year and he has floated the idea of leaning further into his popular YouTube golf creator endeavors if LIV folds.
As the 2024 U.S. Open champion, he is exempt in that major through 2034. He is exempt at the Masters and PGA Championship through 2029 and the British Open through 2028.
DeChambeau was asked Tuesday about his penchant for being the center of attention.
“Oh, literally,” he said. “It’s the funniest thing ever. I respect everybody that says that I’m the worst thing for golf or I’m the best thing for golf. It’s okay.
“The reality is I’m so focused on what I can do for the game that somebody saying something online or to me personally in my face is not going to distract me from the mission that I have.
“When people are saying these things about me, I know my mission. I know what I’m here to do. Sometimes it’s tough to see, but sometimes it’s an inspiration for me. Fuels positive fire in my stomach.
“I think people love to say something and you have to respect that. I think everybody’s opinion is valid. All I can do is continue to be the best every single day that I can, whether I win tournaments out here, I win majors or don’t win majors or finish dead last out here. It doesn’t matter to me, as long as I’m working as hard as I can and giving as much as I can, that’s all that really matters.”
DeChambeau is coming off missed cuts in both the Masters and PGA and missed another at last year’s U.S. Open. His major “slump” comes after typically performing so strongly in golf’s biggest events, including three top-10s (including one win) in both 2024 and 2025.
“I’m playing some solid golf,” he said. “I’m working on my golf swing quite hard, trying to get back to that 58 level (the score he shot in 2023) at Greenbrier when I just had this golf swing that was so easy.
“The weeks that I’ve been playing in major championships, I’ve been playing okay, just having nothing happen for me, and that’s kind of the game of golf. The weeks before that I played really well going into them. I won two events going into the Masters and then finished third in Virginia. So it’s not like I’m playing bad golf. I think I’m putting some pressure on myself to play well in those tournaments, and that’s the reality. Nobody is perfect, and I’m still working hard to play as good as I possibly can, and the year before I played really well in the majors, missed one cut there, and it just happens.
“That’s golf, and ultimately excited for the opportunities I have moving forward. There isn’t any quit in me, as you can see, even at Aronimink (for the PGA) I birdied my last three holes trying to make the cut there, and it is what it is.
“I’ll tell you this: I played worse golf and shot better scores at majors. It’s one of those scenarios of ebbs and flows in golf. I’m really excited for the future over at Shinnecock and overseas, as well, for the Open Championship.
“Head down, keep moving forward.”
