Ahead of his latest attempt to master links golf, Bryson DeChambeau has had his say on the latest LIV news…
One of the talking points during the week of the 153rd Open at Royal Portrush is that LIV Golf have submitted a fresh bid for world ranking points after its original application was rejected by the OWGR board in October 2023.
The likes of Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, Joaquin Niemann and Brooks Koepka have all slid down the rankings since defecting from the PGA Tour, leading many to brand the OWGR “obsolete”.
However, LIV bosses have decided to reapply in a move that is heavily backed by DeChambeau.
“I don’t know, do you guys think we should get points?” DeChambeau responded when asked about the ongoing situation. “I would say that we’ve got some pretty good players over there.
“Going through the right process is important, and I think [LIV Golf CEO] Scott [O’Neil] and all of us are looking forward to going through that process and getting it done the right way. We’re excited for that.”
Several aspects of the LIV model appear at odds with the OWGR criteria, and they were referenced in the dismissal of its initial bid.
What, then, would DeChambeau change in order to improve LIV’s chances of success?
“That’s a great question and one I don’t know [the answer to],” DeChambeau continued. “I don’t know fully. I would say that there are definitely grounds upon which we can change some things.
“Definitely relegation for sure, more pathways into LIV. I think a global tour, more association to a global tour would be great for a feeder system into LIV. Those things, I think, could help quite a bit.
“Albeit I don’t know the details, I think those are a few of the bigger points.”
Now into its fourth year, a number of player contracts are set to expire at the end of the 2025 LIV season.
With the breakaway tour perhaps not having the impact some expected after the initial shock, there has been speculation around whether any big names could return to the PGA Tour.
DeChambeau admits progress has been slower than he’d hoped but that he is, ultimately, happy with the current trajectory.
“Where do I think LIV is currently? It’s moving in the right direction,” he added. “We’re commercializing. We’ve got some good partners aboard with us now.
“Is it taking longer than we would have thought? Yeah, but we’re okay with that. I think Scott’s OK with that, and HE [Yasir Al-Rumayyan] is. I’m not going to speak for him, but I think he is too. We’ll see where it goes.
“We’re excited to see with the new [PGA Tour] commissioner [Brian Rolapp] coming in and Scott and them being friends, I think there’s something that can get done in a good way for the game of golf. I’m really excited for the future of the game. There’s a lot of positive movement going on currently.”