Bryson DeChambeau, the two-time major winner and one of LIV Golf's biggest stars, has a backup plan if the breakaway league fails to survive—and it doesn't involve returning to the PGA Tour. Instead, the 32-year-old is eyeing an even bigger presence on YouTube, where his channel already boasts 2.69 million subscribers and has featured high-profile guests like President Donald Trump and top athletes.
The future of LIV Golf has been thrown into uncertainty after Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) confirmed it would stop funding the series beyond this season. With the league now searching for new investors, DeChambeau's contract also expires at the end of the year, adding to the intrigue around his next move.
Speaking to ESPN, DeChambeau revealed his priorities if LIV folds: "I'd love to grow my YouTube channel three times, maybe even more. I'd love to do a bunch of dubbing in different languages, giving the world more reason to watch YouTube. And then I'd love to play tournaments that want me." This suggests he's leaning toward a content-first strategy, playing only select events rather than committing to a full tour schedule.
Earlier this year, DeChambeau had the chance to return to the PGA Tour through its reinstatement program, but he declined—unlike fellow LIV star Brooks Koepka. Now, with his future uncertain, he's keeping his options open while focusing on building a global audience.
The news of PIF's withdrawal came as a shock to DeChambeau, who had been told the league was funded through 2032. "I was completely shocked. I didn't expect it to happen," he said. "A couple months before that, it's like: 'We're here until 2032. We've got financing until 2032,' and so I told everybody, and that's what I was told."
Despite the upheaval, DeChambeau sees a silver lining: the possibility of golf unifying once again. "If we have a great business model and they're [PGA Tour, DP World Tour] very interested in combining forces, that's the Kumbaya moment, right?" he added, hinting at a potential reconciliation that could reshape the sport.
For now, DeChambeau is keeping his focus on what he can control—his YouTube channel and his game—while the golf world watches to see if LIV's bubble bursts or finds new life.