Bryson DeChambeau was ‘completely shocked’ by LIV Golf collapse, says he’s ready to move to YouTube full time

The collapse of LIV Golf’s financial backing was sudden and unexpected. Following years of support from the Saudi Arabia-backed Public Investment Fund (PIF), rumors spread within weeks and it was subsequently confirmed that the PIF would end its support for the tour at the end of the 2026 season.

Many questions immediately arose: What will happen to the remaining events on the calendar? Will players continue to receive salaries for the rest of the season? Will there be new investors who will continue to fund the LIV business model in 2027 and beyond?

And of course, what will happen to the players?

Some have already said they are not interested in returning to the PGA Tour. Others said they weren’t sure what would happen next. On Tuesday, Jon Rahm and the DP World Tour settled their differences, preparing him for a return to European events this year.

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But there’s no doubt that the biggest star on LIV is Bryson DeChambeau. DeChambeau is a two-time major champion, won the US Open for the second time at Pinehurst in 2024, and has significantly raised his profile through his hugely popular and successful YouTube golf channel. He spoke about his future on Tuesday, giving an honest assessment of where he thinks it’s headed.

Bryson DeChambeau says he wants to grow his YouTube channel

DeChambeau told the media ahead of this weekend’s LIV Golf event at Trump National Golf Club in Virginia that if LIV were to close down in a year, he would want to focus more on YouTube.

“From my perspective, I would love to grow my YouTube channel threefold, maybe even more,” DeChambeau said. “I’d love to. I’d love to do a lot of dubbing in different languages, giving the world more reasons to watch YouTube. Then I’d love to play in tournaments that want me.”

He also hinted in talks with the PGA Tour that the potential penalties they handed out were “pretty unfortunate, I think, given what I could have done for them.”

“Egos need to be lowered,” he added. “Everyone needs to come with a level playing field and an opportunistic mindset to improve the game of golf. That’s why I came here. That’s why I do what I do on YouTube.”

DeChambeau was blunt in his reaction to the news that PIF had withdrawn from the tour, saying he was “shocked” about the timeline.

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“I was completely shocked,” he said. “I didn’t expect this to happen. A few months ago it was like, ‘We’re here through 2032. We’re funded through 2032,’ and so I told everybody and that’s what I was told.”

“And then, you know, I had no communication. And unfortunately things were moving in a different direction. Obviously, they wanted to move on.”

He was also adamant that the team model LIV uses has been successful, with some reaching high valuation levels. It may be beneficial for both tours to look for a potential merger.

“If we have a great business model and they’re very interested in joining forces, that’s a Kumbaya moment, right?” said DeChambeau. “So it’s our job to come up with a better business plan [top company] side. We have team franchises, we make enough profit that we can sell them for close to $200 million, and that’s not even mentioning my team.

“I think it’s going to make everyone let their guard down a little bit and come together and say, ‘Okay, what’s best for the game of golf?’ It requires him to say “

Bryson DeChambeau of the United States looks on as he plays the 13th hole in the first round of the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 09, 2026 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo: Andrew Redington/Getty Images) (Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

He also said the PGA had a lot to learn from the LIV format and that financial problems were emerging there too, despite people “on the side” supporting them.

“There are a few different models,” he explained. “Look, [PGA Tour] The situation is not very good either. Let’s be honest about the situation. The media is in their hands. Everyone who helps increase this is on one side. “But they are reducing site sizes, reducing headcount and restructuring their businesses as well.”

There’s a lot to take away from this; after all, getting DeChambeau back needs to be the PGA Tour’s top priority. He’s arguably the most popular player in golf right now, thanks largely to his following on YouTube, and seeing him consistently compete against Rory McIlroy or Scottie Scheffler would be must-watch TV. Just like the 2024 US Open. Of course there would have to be some kind of penalty, but making it too punitive and keeping him out of the PGA would be a huge missed opportunity. However, there is an argument that “the game” would be better off if all the top players stayed together and pushed for reforms internally on the PGA Tour. However, the converse may be that the changes would never have been made if it were not for foreign competition.

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Bryson DeChambeau tees off on the 12th hole during the first round of the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia on April 9, 2026. (Eric Gay/AP Photo)

DeChambeau is also unique among star actors in having an external outlet with YouTube. He has little chance of making as much money from his own channel as he does from competitive golf, but it gives him more options. Of course, LIV CEO Scott O’Neil could find new investors and hold the round together. Keeping Bryson is also very important to him.

If this all ends with DeChambeau focusing solely on YouTube, that would be a fascinating revelation as to where the game is headed. A few weeks ago this seemed impossible. But in an indication of how fast-moving the modern golf world has moved, it certainly isn’t like that anymore.