LIV Golf’s Collapse Leaves Trump Ally Bryson DeChambeau Searching for a Place To Play

President Trump has plenty on his mind after the midterm elections. Now he has another concern: his favorite golfer, Bryson DeChambeau, is looking for a place to play professionally.Mr. DeChambeau, a prominent public supporter and frequent golf partner of Mr. Trump, faces an uncertain future after a lawyer for LIV Golf announced plans to pivot from restructuring to “an orderly wind-down of its operations.” LIV’s remaining assets will be sold as the company comes to close.The announcement comes after a virtual Chapter 11 bankruptcy hearing in New Jersey on Thursday when LIV confirmed a credit firm expected to fund LIV Golf 2.0 in 2027 pulled out.“In light of the current circumstance, we believe shifting toward an orderly wind-down is the most responsible path forward for the league at this time,” Gene Davis and Jon Zinman of LIV Golf’s Board’s Special Committee, said in a statement.London-based credit firm BC Partners scrapped plans to commit a $300 million loan to help LIV emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and fund the creation of LIV 2.0, a scaled down version of the original concept of big spending and big prize money. BC Partners appeared on board with the restart but pulled out after several big names including Mr. DeChambeau failed to commit to staying with the embattled league.The bankruptcy hearing was originally scheduled to approve Jon Rahm release from LIV, but shifted to LIV seeking liquidation of its assets. BC Partners elected to pull its investment after Mr. Rahm, Tyrell Hatton, Sergio Garcia, Dustin Johnson, Joaquin Niemann, Cameron Smith, Louis Oosthuizen, Branden Grace, Ian Poulter, Graeme McDowell, David Puig and Mr. DeChambeau failed to sign new agreements to commit to LIV 2.0. Brooks Koepka left LIV before the start of the 2026 season to rejoin the PGA Tour after accepting severe financial sanctions. Patrick Reed also departed LIV and spent this year on the DP World Tour.“While there was great support for the league, we are disappointed that mutually acceptable terms could not be reached among the various stakeholders,” BC Partners said in a statement, adding, “We wish them every success as they continue their careers.”The future of LIV Golf became uncertain in April when the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, which spent $5 billion to sustain the league after its launching in 2022, announced it would no longer pay for LIV Golf after 2026. Scott O’Neil, appointed LIV CEO in January 2025 replacing Greg Norman, talked a good game as he scrambled to find investors that could keep the league afloat under a less expensive framework.It looked like its $300 million offer from BC Partners was the lifeline. LIV hoped to relaunch in 2027 with a roster of at least 75 players and a 10-tournament schedule with purses between $5 – $10 million. But the head of BC Partners, Ted Goldthorper, said last month that retaining big-name players was crucial to LIV 2.0’s sustainability. “The players are everything,” he said. “They’re our partners and they’re very, very important to our future.”But those plans fell apart as LIV’s top players failed to commit to its revamped future. A devastating blow came on Oct. 12 when the DP World Tour, a path where LIV golfers could qualify for major championships and the Ryder Cup, announced it would not allow players who sign with LIV 2.0 to play on its tour.Despite the departures, Mr. DeChambeau seemed optimistic about a more sustainable team-based structure, saying the new model would give players greater control over the league’s direction.During an interview last week with Indian entrepreneur Raj Shamani Mr. DeChambeau said, “This business model makes a lot of sense, and we’re actually working through that right now for this new model where it will make full financial sense.”He pointed to his Crushers GC team saying it generated $29 million in revenue with approximately $21 million in costs, including player payments and expenses, leaving $8 million in earnings that were “pushed down” to other teams “when they went bankrupt because the top wasn’t being run effectively.”He added that with proper management, “this is going to be a league, hopefully that exists forever.”That’s not going to happen now, leaving Mr. DeChambeau in limbo. He is eligible to compete in upcoming major championships after winning the 2024 U.S. Open, but has no status on the PGA Tour or the DP World Tour. He can apply to compete in both, but whether he’s accepted or not and under what terms remains uncertain is also unclear.“There’s a path back for him, but it’s going to be bumpy and very expensive,” Brandell Chamblee said on Golf Channel.Mr. DeChambeau might be one of the game’s most popular figures, aided by his YouTube channel, which has three million subscribers. But his relationships with many of the PGA Tour’s top players, including Rory McIlroy, have been strained.“We don’t even know if Bryson wants to come back to the PGA Tour,” golf insider Rex Hoggard said on Golf Channel. “He’s made it clear he wouldn’t mind going off and doing his own thing and being a YouTube golfer though I don’t know what that means. Certainly, he thinks differently.”For now, Mr. DeChambeau must contemplate his next move. He can play in the majors and occasionally with Mr. Trump. But with LIV shutting down, and no path back to an established tour, one of golf’s most recognizable players could be left without a professional schedule in 2027.

LIV Golf’s Collapse Leaves Trump Ally Bryson DeChambeau Searching for a Place To Play

LIV Golf’s Collapse Leaves Trump Ally Bryson DeChambeau Searching for a Place To Play

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