DECHAMBEAU SPEAKS ON JUMP TO LIV GOLF
Bryson DeChambeau called his move to the LIV Golf series “a business decision,” and a difficult one at that.
The 2020 U.S. Open champion, who as recently as 10 days ago had said he was sticking with the PGA Tour, offered his first comments about his change of heart Monday after a practice round at The County Club.
“At the end of the day, it’s a business decision for my family’s future,” he said. “And it gave me a lot more free time.”
The big-hitting 28-yearold, who has been hampered by a hand injury for most of this year, says the money he’ll get for playing the series will also help him build his charitable foundation. DeChambeau is unmarried and has no children.
Much as Phil Mickelson had in a news conference earlier in the day, DeChambeau didn’t want to delve into the politics of where the money is coming from — the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia — or how the PGA Tour will react to his decision. Like Mickelson, DeChambeau has not surrendered his tour card.
“It’s not my decision to make,” he said about his future on the PGA Tour, where
he has $26.3 million in career earnings and eight of his 10 worldwide victories.
DeChambeau is scheduled to make his LIV series debut next month in Portland, Ore. He said the decision to play on the Saudibacked tour was one that he did not take lightly.
“Very difficult,” he said. “It’s been weighing on everyone out here for the last couple of years.”
Nice grouping
Shane Lowry will have the best seat at Brookline to hear how fans respond to Mickelson and other players who have joined a Saudifunded rival league. He is in the same group as Mickelson and Louis Oosthuizen, both of whom played in the
LIV Golf Invitational last week.
It was a delicate act for the USGA, which often has fun with the tee times.
Sergio Garcia and Kevin Na also are in the rival league, and both have heard their share of heckling even without having to mention Saudi Arabia. They are paired together and joined by Tyrrell Hatton.
One traditional group is the defending champion (Jon Rahm), the British Open champion (Collin Morikawa) and the U.S. Amateur champion (James Piot), even though Piot is now a pro. He also was on the LIV Golf circuit last week.