Bryson DeChambeau is the face of LIV Golf, and the league’s unquestioned biggest star. A vocal booster since joining the league, DeChambeau has stated he’s committed to LIV for the 2026 season.
But DeChambeau has also made it clear that once his current LIV contract ends later this year, his future is up in the air. In light of the high-profile departures of Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed, that’s a big problem for LIV.
And LIV fans and officials worried about DeChambeau’s potential departure will not be comforted by the two-time U.S. Open champion’s latest comments.
In a newly-published interview with Today’s Golfer, DeChambeau criticized a major format change LIV is introducing this season and threw his future with the league further into doubt.
DeChambeau’s muted response to Brooks Koepka’s LIV exit
In late December, Brooks Koepka officially parted ways with LIV Golf. Then on January 12, the PGA Tour announced that Koepka would return under the new Returning Member Program.
That new pathway back to the Tour was open only to Koepka and three other LIV stars: Jon Rahm, Cameron Smith and DeChambeau.
The entire golf world began speculating if any of them would follow Koepka’s lead, and the very next day all three players faced questions about it at a LIV Golf Media Day.
While all of them confirmed they would reject the PGA Tour’s offer, DeChambeau’s reaction was notable for its tone and brevity.
“I mean, look, I’m contracted through 2026, so I’m excited about this year,” DeChambeau said at the time. But anyone who watches the video would struggle to describe Bryson’s demeanor as “excited.”
Most striking was what he did not say. He did not offer a fully-throated defense of the league, nor did he commit to playing LIV beyond 2026.
But in his recent interview with Today’s Golfer, DeChambeau went a step further, openly criticizing the league for its recent format change.
Bryson knocks LIV’s move to 72 holes, throws future in doubt
At the end of last year, LIV Golf announced a dramatic shift: tournaments would move from 54 holes to 72 holes beginning in 2026. It was seen as a strategy to earn recognition from the Official World Golf Ranking.
But it also represented the end of one of the league’s most distinguishing characteristics.
Many LIV stars backed the change in public statements and press releases, including DeChambeau. But in his comments to Today’s Golfer, Bryson flipped his previous opinion, criticizing the change and saying, “We didn’t sign up to play for 72.”
“It’s definitely changed away from what we had initially been told it was going to be. So there is some movement that we’ve all been, I would say, interested in, and going, ‘why that movement?’” DeChambeau told Today’s Golfer. “Because we were told it was going to be this. So that’s definitely made us have some different thoughts about it.”
DeChambeau then repeated his commitment to play the 2026 LIV season but again refused to commit to the league beyond this year.
“I’ve got a contract for this year, and we’ll go through it there and see what happens after that,” DeChambeau said.
He continued: “Look, it’s 72 holes, it’s changed, but we’re still excited to play professionally and play for what we’re doing and go across the world. I think it’s going to be great for our team.”
He then added a second criticism of the 72-hole format shift.
“Is it what we ultimately signed up for? No. So I think we’re supposed to be different, so I’m a little indifferent to it right now. Hopefully it weighs positively on me over the course of time, but you never know,” DeChambeau said ominously, “I’m not sure. We didn’t sign up to play for 72.”
Fellow LIV pros Paul Casey and Louis Oosthuizen echoed DeChambeau’s criticism to Today’s Golfer, with Casey saying, “Same as Bryson… It wouldn’t have been the thing I would have changed,” and Oosthuizen arguing the 54-hole format “was a bit more unique.”
The 2026 LIV Golf season officially kicks off Wednesday, February 4, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
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