Unpacking words from LIV's lively U.S. debut
Rahm's deal, Bryson's future, G-Mac's regrets, CEO's optimism, Poults' plan; Stray Shots
Jon Rahm has binding LIV contract and is done stressing about his DPWT relationship (Courtesy LIV Golf)
LIV Golf arrived for its first domestic tournament of the year in Virginia this week. With everything that’s going on since the Saudi’s decided to no longer fund the start-up league beyond 2026, there was a lot to unpack.
Among the tidbits that came out of the pre-tournament conversation in Virginia:
Jon Rahm said he’s settled his dispute with the DP World Tour to pay his fines and remain eligible for the Ryder Cup. “We were able to reach an agreement. There were some concessions on both sides. I offered some,” Rahm said. “They extended an olive branch. And we reached an agreement. So, I will not be stressing that.”
He also said he’s under contract with LIV beyond this season (if there are more). “As of right now, I have several years on my contract left, and I’m pretty sure they did a pretty good job when they drafted that. So I don’t see many ways out, and as of right now, I’m not really thinking about it since we still have a season to play and majors to compete for. So it’s not something I want to think about just yet.”
Graeme McDowell regrets repeating the platitude that he left for LIV to “grow the game” instead of admitting he did it for the money. “I regret a few things I said in the beginning, stuff like growing the game,” he told Sports Illustrated. “I should have just said it for what it was: this is good for my bank account, and I’m getting a runway to play the game of golf for as long as I possibly can.”
LIV CEO Scott O’Neil remains bullish on LIV’s future even without PIF’s deep pockets and that he’s committed to LIV’s “transformational” team format and selling the 13 franchises: “To have this chance in this business, to be able to reset and create something special, something lasting ... I feel an appropriate amount of pressure, which I hope we all do here. I’m feeling inspired. And I feel like we have a clear path to a win.”
Ian Poulter believes LIV can live on with a reimagined 2.0 version that emphasizes the team aspect and works with instead of against the PGA Tour. “Does it work if some PGA Tour players can move in to play in the back end of the year possibly? And therefore a chunk of the guys can go and play and help their TV renewal valuation?” Poulter told SI. “We can all work together in some way to make the calendar for the whole year look good? Whether that be international, whether it be in the U.S. or whether it be in Europe.
Then there is Bryson DeChambeau, who admitted he was “shocked” by the news that the PIF was pulling its money out beyond 2026. DeChambeau is a curious character, and while he’d like to help LIV last long into the future, the YouTube star doesn’t think his future needs to be tied to any tour.
If LIV doesn’t survive and the PGA Tour doesn’t want to make it easy for guys to return, DeChambeau would be content to growing his popular YouTube platform and play anywhere that “wants him.”
DeChambeau told a few reporters in Virginia this week that he’s hopeful O’Neil and the new LIV Golf board can “come up with a good business plan and there’s some (private equity) that wants to get in …”
DeChambeau said he and his agents have talked to the PGA Tour about cooperation to reunite golf, and he is concerned for other players and their path back. He’s not so much worried about himself.
“If Scott doesn’t find the funding …. and we don’t find a solution, for me I think it’s really enticing, depending on what everybody says on the (PGA Tour) and what they’re going to strike me with as a penalty, which is quite unfortunate in my opinion, considering what I could do for them,” he said.
“I think, from my perspective, I’d love to grow my YouTube channel three times. Maybe even more. I would love to. 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 declined the PGA Tour “returning member” offer that was given to Brooks Koepka and he could join the DP World Tour at the end of 2026 and be fully exempt as a winner of the 2024 U.S. Open.
It’s the strings attached that worry him.
“I mean, they make up rules every day,” he said. “I would love to entertain the world globally and play professional golf globally and give everyone around the globe a show. And I’d also like to do YouTube videos around it, too. How great would that be? I’d love to promote the events and grow the events and collab with people and really create an amazing experience for juniors. Our demographic for golf is what? You know what the age is? It’s 60-plus, right? My demographic is 24 to 34 and it’s over 10 million of them.
“And I want to continue to inspire them and give them as much entertainment as possible because I’m just being myself. I’m trying to be myself as much as I can. I think there’s value to that and I want to give the world of golf as much as I can.”
DeChambeau didn’t discount the idea of LIV Golf surviving with fewer events and smaller purses. He suggested that PGA Tour should work with LIV for the betterment of the game and its own bottom line.
“Look, the tour isn’t doing great either,” DeChambeau said. “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. …
“If we can come up with a good business plan for the game of golf, not just on our side, but on their side. And everybody together for the 2030 media rights negotiation. (When the PGA Tour’s current media rights deals end.) We can all come up with something. We can really do something special for the game, and I hope everybody sees that potential.
“That would require cooperation from both sides. On both sides. And 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.”
