Bryson DeChambeau became one of the big names to join LIV Golf last summer, and the American has backed the breakaway league to assert its dominance in the coming years
In a clear warning to the PGA Tour, Bryson DeChambeau declared that LIV Golf will become a “dominant force” in the professional golf industry.
One of the well-known players to join the LIV setup after leaving the PGA Tour last summer was DeChambeau. Tensions between the competing circuits were high at the time, but since a framework agreement was announced in June, the rivalry has subsided.
The Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia (PIF) and the PGA Tour are currently negotiating a deal that will see the Tour collaborate with the breakaway league going forward.
There were some questions about what the deal would mean for LIV after it was announced, even though it was obvious that the Saudi fund was eager to support the PGA Tour. DeChambeau, the face of LIV, has cautioned that the rebel league will not be going away anytime soon.
“After all of this is said and done, LIV will still be around in five years,” he stated to the Good Good Podcast. “LIV is going to exert a strong influence. I’m not sure if the terrain will be named LIV or even what it will look like, but I do know that it will be here. Team golf is not going away.
“As long as I live, I have no doubt in my mind that golf will always be a game about teamwork. That’s what I think. Though I could be mistaken, my gut tells me that LIV is here to stay based on the sentiment, the movement, and the direction things are going.
The deadline of December 31 for the two rivals to finalize a deal has not yet been met, even though the proposed peace treaty was announced in June. Even though DeChambeau is optimistic that an agreement will ultimately be reached, he finds the delay to be frustrating.
When asked if he thought the two tours would at last find peace, he said, “Yes, absolutely. And they are currently working on it. The road ahead will be challenging due to the numerous individuals involved, each with their own set of goals. It’s very political. It’s also quite depressing. It is disheartening since there was a long time ago something that needed to be done.
“It has been unbelievable for the game of golf, and it should have been over three or four years ago.” The Tour disclosed earlier this month that they had, though not with their Saudi partners, reached a second agreement as part of the new for-profit entity.
Rather, the Tour declared that a deal had been reached for Strategic Sports Group (SSG), an American investor, to participate in the company, reportedly investing £2.4 billion ($3 billion). The American circuit, meanwhile, stated that talks with PIF were still ongoing despite their recent partnership.
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