Bryson DeChambeau parted ways with the PGA Tour way back in 2022 as he jumped ship to LIV Golf along with some other huge names in the game.
DeChambeau has since gone on to become one of the biggest stars in the professional game.
It’s actually fair to argue that he is one of the very few golfers to have actually improved since joining LIV.
Bryson DeChambeau has actually really enjoyed his time on LIV Golf in general over the past four years.
However, the 32-year-old faces an uncertain future with LIV, with Saudi Arabia’s PIF set to withdraw their funding from the league at the end of the current season.
At the end of April, PIF announced that they would no longer be funding LIV Golf, and that left players like DeChambeau in limbo.
The two-time U.S. Open champion was under the impression that LIV would be funded by PIF through the 2032 season at the very least.
So perhaps it should be no surprise that Bryson DeChambeau has allegedly sounded out the PGA Tour about a potential return.
What the PGA Tour must say to Bryson DeChambeau if he asks to rejoin
He was offered a PGA Tour return back in January, when it was announced that Brooks Koepka would be rejoining.
The American golf star turned that offer down, though. Had he known what was to come in a just a few months’ time, his answer to the PGA Tour would almost certainly have been different.
DeChambeau’s contract with LIV Golf is set to expire at the end of the current season, so it would be no surprise if his future does actually lie with the PGA Tour.
However, Tom Lehman told Beyond The Clubhouse how the PGA Tour needs to be firm with the two-time major champion if he does indeed ask to come back.
“Start over. Earn your way back up,“ Lehman said.
“I don’t care who you are. You know, and I love Bryson. I love him. I mean, I think he’s one of my favourite players in the world.
“I love Bryson, and he’s good enough where, you know, you put him in that position, he’ll work his way back up.
“You know, but to put him above the guys who loyally stayed with the Tour and have played on the Tour, who maybe even turned down big money, I think is wrong. I don’t think it’s right at all.
“I could be wrong, you know, and that’s okay, but that’s my opinion, and I would not let them walk back in ahead of anybody.
“They would be the last guys on the PGA tour totem poll, and they’ve got to work their way up.“
Lehman’s Bryson DeChambeau take is far too black and white
Lehman certainly has a point.
There is a fair argument to be made that DeChambeau shouldn’t be given any preferential treatment if he does indeed want to return to the PGA Tour.
However, it’s worth noting that DeChambeau coming back would actually be a good thing for current PGA Tour members.
As mentioned earlier, he’s one of the biggest stars in world golf.
Bryson DeChambeau returning to the PGA Tour would increase eyeballs on the tournaments and purses could climb even higher due to his presence.
Also, there’s a very good chance that DeChambeau would decide to focus purely on content creation, if the PGA Tour tell him to start from the bottom and work his way back up.
