LIV Golf Crusher GC captain Bryson DeChambeau isn’t afraid to speak his mind. Recently, he joined his LIV Golf Fairway to Heaven podcast to discuss a variety of topics.
From OWGR to fixing the fan experience, DeChambeau took it forward.
But his views on how to end the divide in golf are… mic drop moment.
“Ego death needs to happen on all sides,” DeChambeau said. “If we can do that, I think it would be a step in the right direction for the golf world.”
Those in charge on both sides appear to have very healthy egos from the outside.
Multiple reports have detailed PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan’s tendency to seek control.
Meanwhile, the Saudi Public Investment Fund, headed by Yasir al-Rumayyan, has threatened to pull all its funds into the European Women’s Tour if it joins the LPGA Tour as planned.
The move is widely believed to be in response to the PGA Tour’s $3 billion investment deal with Strategic Sports Group.
After the historic announcement between the PGA Tour and PIF on June 6, there was no major movement. Discussions have been extended from an original December deadline to early spring.
LIV Golf is home to some of the best players in the world, including DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, and Jon Rahm.
Joaquin Niemann is another name that has garnered attention with his multiple wins on the DP World Tour, including the Australian Open, and his 59 wins at LIV Mayakoba, the league’s 2024 opening tournament.
Both Niemann and DeChambeau have been vocal in their belief that the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) is unfair.
DeChambeau elaborated on this point on his podcast.
Photo by Manuel Velasquez/Getty Images
“They say, ‘Oh, they haven’t said anything.’ The decision is to do nothing,” he said. “That’s frustrating. They said, ‘We need certain requirements,’ so we met all of those requirements, despite what everyone thought.” If you look at their handbook, we meet all the criteria. It’s been over two years now. what is happening?
In October, the OWGR committee explained why LIV could not earn points.
The LIV event features a 48-man field, shotgun start, no cut, and only 54 holes of play. These are all reasons why OWGR rejects points from rival leagues. None of those aspects have changed on the LIV tour.
This fact shows that DeChambeau is either wrong or ignorant of reality.
The OWGR committee includes leaders from Augusta National, the United States Golf Association, the PGA of America, and the R&A. They state that LIV Golf’s structure and format cannot be fairly compared to other professional tours.
“It’s a little frustrating, but there’s nothing we can do at this point,” DeChambeau said. “If we showcase ourselves in a major championship, they can’t shut us out. We have to play well in the majors, and if we do, they can’t shut us out. has no choice.”
The former US Open champion will now play in all four major tournaments with his 2020 win. This earned him a five-year exemption from all major tournaments and a 10-year exemption from the US Open. That means DeChambeau still has time to play in the Masters, PGA Championship and British Open Championship this year and next.
Unless it violates OWGR rules, we may not see him or many of the other best players in LIV for much longer unless he wins another major by the end of 2025.
He was well aware of this when he jumped onto a rival circuit.
“Everyone on our side knew this was what was going to happen. We knew that’s exactly what they were going to do,” DeChambeau said. “It’s the major organizations that have the influence, the major organizations, and they want golf to be a certain way.”
Savannah Lee Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through.For more golf coverage, follow us @_PlayingThrough On all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirls and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.
