On Wednesday, DeChambeau pondered the TOUR’s social media policy, and also told Skratch “I don’t even think it’s Brian Rolapp or anybody like one of the top executives, it’s really if the players want me back and if not, then I understand that.”
POTOMAC FALLS, Va. — Bryson DeChambeau has built one of the biggest golf audiences in the world outside of tournament broadcasts.
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His YouTube channel currently sits at 2.69 million subscribers, and his Break 50 series continues to thrive with a mix of athletes, celebrities, and creators ranging from Steph Curry to Carlos Alcaraz and John Daly.
And after speaking with DeChambeau on Wednesday at LIV Golf Virginia, it’s clear content creation is no longer just a side project for him—it’s a major part of how he views his future in golf.
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“So if I was to film a video during the week of one of their events with a content creator or a celebrity, that would be in violation to my knowledge,” DeChambeau told Skratch on this week in DC.
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DeChambeau pointed to the PGA TOUR’s social media policy as one of the potential hurdles he sees if he were ever to pursue a return to the TOUR.
“It’s their policy, they didn’t let me do it when I was on there. I asked various times,” DeChambeau said. “They didn’t let Grant Horvat or Garrett Clark do some videos during the Monday, Tuesday practice rounds. That’s the truth.”
The PGA TOUR later clarified to Skratch that third-party creators such as Horvat and Clark operate under different guidelines than TOUR members themselves. Under the TOUR’s current Player On-Site Social Media Policy, players are permitted to capture and post content during practice rounds and pro-am days.
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“It’s one of them,” DeChambeau said of the obstacles facing any potential return. “If you look at it, it’s affiliate marketing, so me being able to create content on that golf course that week at that event should only bring value to the tournament, and that’s what I care about most, entertaining like I’ve always said from day one.”
When told the TOUR said it allows players to create content on-site during practice rounds and pro-am days, DeChambeau pointed to specific creator restrictions he’s seen in the past.
“You should talk to Garrett Clark about that then, because they didn’t allow him to post a Wednesday Pro-Am video, if you want to get into the semantics of it,” DeChambeau said.
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But the more DeChambeau talked after the LIV Virginia Pro-Am this week, the clearer it became that this conversation wasn’t really about one specific policy. It was about flexibility. And about how much his priorities have changed since leaving the PGA TOUR in 2022.
“I think there’s a way to solve any problem,” DeChambeau said. “It’s really about if the membership wants me back and if they just want me back. That’s what it’s about.
“I don’t even think it’s Brian Rolapp or anybody like one of the top executives, it’s really if the players want me back and if not, then I understand that.”
To DeChambeau, that appears to be the bigger hurdle.
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DeChambeau was part of the initial lawsuit against the PGA TOUR when he left in 2022, and lingering resentment from some TOUR members could still complicate any future return.
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Former TOUR pro Tom Lehman explained to Skratch last week how he would feel if he was part of the current membership about letting LIV players back.
“I would not let them back ahead of anybody, they would be the last guy on the PGA TOUR totem pole and they’ve got to work their way up,” Lehman said.
Asked about Tom Lehman’s recent comments regarding LIV players returning to the PGA TOUR, DeChambeau suggested there are likely already routes back for players with previous TOUR status and an obvious route for any player looking to earn their tour card for the first time. But he quickly shifted the conversation toward something he views as more important: acceptance from the membership itself.
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“But for players that do have exemptions I think it’s fair that we utilize those exemptions and then for me it’s really about how can I help impact the game in the most positive way. Whether you believe that I’m doing that or not, that’s just what I want to do.”
The two-time major champion acknowledged that plenty of people seem to have opinions about what his future in golf should look like.
“Everybody can tell me what I want to do, but I think what matters also is what makes me happy,” DeChambeau said.
Is that LIV and the YouTube channel?
DeChambeau’s answer left plenty of room for interpretation.
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“It’s ever changing. It can always change based on new information,” DeChambeau said. “But I think doing a bunch of content creation and doing it more freely, and then also playing events that want me is great, it’s a great opportunity.”
Whether that future eventually includes the PGA TOUR remains unclear. But after spending time with DeChambeau on Tuesday and Wednesday in DC, one thing felt obvious: tournament golf is no longer the only thing shaping how he sees his career.
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