DeChambeau says he may grow YouTube, not rush back if LIV folds

Bryson DeChambeau said he would rather keep building his own audience than sprint back into golf’s old order if LIV Golf runs out of road. The 32-year-old two-time major champion said he is prepared to grow his YouTube channel and “play tournaments that want me,” a striking sign that the game’s biggest stars now see direct-to-fan platforms as leverage, not just promotion.

His comments landed as Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund said it will fund LIV Golf only through the rest of the 2026 season, putting the league’s current financial model on borrowed time. LIV said it is searching for long-term partners and has formed a committee of independent directors to review strategic alternatives after the funding horizon ends. The uncertainty follows years of giant spending, with the Saudi fund reportedly investing more than $5 billion in the breakaway circuit since its launch.

DeChambeau said he has had conversations with the PGA Tour, but not about what a return pathway would look like if LIV disappears. That uncertainty matters because LIV was built in 2022 as a direct rival to the PGA Tour, then agreed to a merger framework with the tour in 2023 that still has not been finalized. For players who left for the Saudi-backed league, the unresolved deal leaves open questions about eligibility, access and whether the tour will fully welcome defectors back.

DeChambeau’s answer was not a plea for a quick reunion. Instead, he pointed to the business he has built outside the ropes. His YouTube channel has become one of golf’s biggest creator platforms, with long-form challenge videos that have drawn millions of views and collaborations with Stephen Curry, Tom Brady, Phil Mickelson and Dude Perfect. DeChambeau said he would like to grow the channel threefold and add dubbed versions in different languages, a move that would widen his reach well beyond traditional golf broadcasts.

That approach reflects a broader shift in power across professional sports. When a league’s future becomes unstable, stars with their own media audiences gain something rare: insulation. DeChambeau’s remarks suggest that top players no longer view the PGA Tour as the only center of gravity, or even the safest one. In a sport reshaped by LIV’s rise, merger limbo and creator culture, the most valuable asset may be the audience a player can take anywhere.