By Frank Pingue
OAKMONT, Pennsylvania (Reuters) -Bryson DeChambeau, who has evolved into one of the game’s most popular players, revealed on Tuesday that his contract with LIV Golf expires next year and that he has no plans to take his big-hitting talents elsewhere.
DeChambeau joined LIV in 2022 and his future with the Saudi-backed circuit has been the source of speculation, with some suggesting the two-times major champion turned down a proposal for a new contract and is looking to return to the PGA Tour.
But DeChambeau, speaking to reporters at Oakmont Country Club ahead of his U.S. Open title defence this week, said he feels the team element of LIV Golf is a viable option and one he wants to be a part of.
“We’re looking to negotiate end of this year, and I’m very excited,” said DeChambeau, who is captain of LIV Golf’s Crushers GC. “They see the value in me. I see the value in what they can provide, and I believe we’ll come to some sort of resolution on that. Super excited for the future.”
LIV Golf, which features no-cut, 54-hole events, held its inaugural event in June 2022, and through mega-money contracts and lucrative purses has lured some of golf’s biggest names.
The PGA Tour and Saudi backers of rival LIV Golf have yet to reach an official deal that would unite the game of golf despite agreeing to a “framework agreement” two years ago to merge and form one unified commercial entity.
“I think that LIV is not going anywhere,” said DeChambeau, who headlines the list of 14 LIV Golf players in the U.S. Open field this week.
“(Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund Governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan) has been steadfast in his belief on team golf, and whether everybody believes in it or not, I think it’s a viable option. I think it’s a viable commercial option.”
DeChambeau said he feels there is a “sustainable model” for team golf.
“Our team has been EBITDA positive for the past two years, so we’re starting to grow and move in the right direction, just like TGL,” said DeChambeau.
“TGL has done a great job. They’ve got some teams that are making some money, and I believe there is a sustainable model out there.”
TGL is a tech-infused indoor golf league created by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy that held its first season earlier this year and featured players hitting shots at a simulator screen before moving to a green that can rotate 360 degrees, creating hole-to-hole variations.
“How it all works with the game of golf, who knows, but I know my worth. I know what LIV brings to the table,” DeChambeau added. “And I’m excited for the future of what golf is going to be.”
(Reporting by Frank PingueEditing by Christian Radnedge)
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