Bryson DeChambeau left the PGA Tour to join LIV Golf four years ago now.
DeChambeau has enjoyed a fair bit of success during those four years, winning five times on LIV Golf, and adding another US Open trophy to his collection.
However, with the future looking uncertain for LIV right now, there have been rumors that the 32-year-old could make a return to the PGA Tour.
Bryson DeChambeau is the biggest star on LIV Golf, so it goes without saying that the league’s leadership will be concerned about the recent speculation regarding his future.
In April, it was claimed that DeChambeau made contact with PGA Tour officials during Masters week at Augusta National.
Then just a week or so later it was confirmed that Saudi Arabia’s PIF would be withdrawing their funding from the league upon the completion of the 2026 season.
It’s definitely interesting that DeChambeau has been more open about the idea of rejoining the PGA Tour recently.
But do the PGA Tour actually want, or even need him back?
Bryson DeChambeau told the PGA Tour ‘does not need him’
Rich Beem has been speaking on the Sky Sports Golf Podcast about DeChambeau’s current situation.
If LIV does fold, or even operates on a reduced budget next season, it would be no surprise to see the two-time US Open champion move on to pastures new.
With his contract set to expire at the end of the current season, a return to the PGA Tour in 2027 could be a real possibility.
Beem responded when asked if the PGA Tour actually needs him back.
“No, they don’t,“ Beem insisted.
“He is not bigger than the game. He said that I can’t believe they are doing that [the sanctions] and then four sentences later he said ‘the egos need to be dropped’. Who are you? Who is this guy?
“You can’t make this up. [He said] Everybody needs to come in with a level playing field with an opportunistic mindset to grow the game of golf. As entertaining as he is on the golf course, what comes out of his mouth can be highly entertaining too. You are a self proclaimed scientist but you are not a politician!
“Here is the reason why I say the PGA does not need him. One is that nobody is bigger than the game. If Jack Nicklaus or Arnold Palmer walked away in their prime, the game would have gone on without them.
“I think what he is doing with YouTube might be right up his alley. I mean that seems to be where he is most comfortable because he gets to control the narrative and what is put out there. He gets to control what he says and how he says it because they can go back and edit it. Where it gets into a live audience that is not the case.
“We have seen good and bad Bryson. I think even great Bryson when he is at his best. At The Masters when he was chasing Rory down last year on Saturday he came in and said if I can get my irons in play I am doing everything else great and then on Sunday he was like Rory wouldn’t talk to me.
“I would not have expected anybody to talk to me. I don’t remember walking down the fairways trying to talk to Justin Leonard or his caddie. I am focusing on what I’m doing.
“So we get these two different, polar opposite, individuals whenever we talk about them. And the PGA Tour does not need him.“
Whether DeChambeau can focus on just the majors and YouTube
Beem responded when asked whether he believes that it will be possible for DeChambeau to focus purely on playing the majors and creating content on YouTube.
“100%,“ Beem exclaimed.
“Can he take European Tour membership? I could see him wanting to go over and do Dubai and I think India again. Because when he talks about growing the game, he talks about growing the game into different languages and putting different languages on his YouTube channel.
“I could see him doing that. He still has to promote his brand in the fact that, yes, the two US Opens are colossal but I think, especially, in the United States [it’s like] that is great Bryson, but what did you do today? I have not seen you on top of the leaderboard or playing anywhere.
“Just a YouTube video alone without any success in the majors and not seeing him on TV, that could dry up a little bit.
“But I think the Tour will relent and let him back in but he will have to pay a stiff penalty and he is going to go kicking and screaming and crying about it but I think that’s the only way.“
