Bryson DeChambeau’s LIV Golf contract has been ticking since June 2022, and it’s set to run out at the end of this season. No extension in sight, which was always going to get people talking. Now, Brandel Chamblee has put it right in the spotlight.
During a U.S. Open media call, the Golf Channel analyst said he was “hearing through the grapevine” that DeChambeau is looking for a way to return to the PGA Tour. NUCLR Golf picked up the story on X, and the golf world jumped on it.
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“The distraction of LIV being in flux, and Bryson — from what we can all sort of read between the lines is that — he’s trying to figure out a way to come back to the PGA Tour, at least that’s what we’re hearing through the grapevine.”
DeChambeau’s public position tells a different story. Speaking to Flushing It Golf in April, he confirmed negotiations with LIV are still active. His commitment to the league runs deeper than the contract itself. He has framed his continued presence as a responsibility to younger LIV players.
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“We’re still working on a potential contract. I haven’t given up on that, and I think there will be a solution.”
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DeChambeau later clarified his stance. On May 2, during an interview with The Guardian, he dismissed the speculation and said it was “completely untrue” that he planned to leave LIV Golf before the end of the year.
Even so, the broader context gives Chamblee’s claim more weight than it would have carried a year ago. Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund has confirmed it will withdraw financial support from LIV at the end of this season, a move that DeChambeau said caught him off guard. Against that backdrop, reports of a $500 million extension appear misaligned with LIV’s current financial outlook.
At the same time, Bryson DeChambeau has continued to build his presence off the course. His YouTube channel has surpassed 500 million views, and he is co-launching Source Golf, a digital network with Grant Horvat and the Bryan brothers. In a January interview with Front Office Sports, he openly acknowledged where that path could lead.
It’s a wild time for LIV right now, and honestly, Chamblee’s take doesn’t sound as far-fetched as it did last year. The Saudi Public Investment Fund is pulling the plug on LIV’s money after this season, and even DeChambeau admitted he didn’t see that coming. That rumored $500 million extension for Bryson? Doesn’t really add up with how things are looking. Brooks Koepka is already back on the PGA Tour, Patrick Reed has followed, and contract talks remain unresolved as LIV navigates its most uncertain stretch to date.
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There is a third option DeChambeau has floated, and it is not the PGA Tour. His YouTube channel just hit 500 million views, and now he’s teaming up with Grant Horvat and the Bryan brothers to launch Source Golf, a new digital golf network. Back in January, he told Front Office Sports exactly where he thinks this could go when he confirmed that it was “an incredibly viable option.”
No matter how you look at it, the PGA Tour isn’t making it easy for guys who want to come back. DeChambeau’s antitrust lawsuit, which he ended up dropping, definitely stirred things up and left some bad blood. Brian Rolapp, the PGA Tour CEO, hasn’t sugarcoated anything either. He basically said, ‘There were rules, and they were broken. With rules comes accountability.’
But fans didn’t just react to Chamblee’s claim out of nowhere. The way people took his comments had a lot to do with his past with LIV.
Brandel Chamblee’s track record with LIV Golf adds context to Bryson DeChambeau speculation
Chamblee’s relationship with LIV Golf has been one of the sport’s more consistent storylines since the league launched in 2022. He called the June 2023 PGA-PIF framework agreement “one of the saddest days in the history of professional golf.” He labeled the league’s format “laughable.” In April 2026, when shutdown rumors first circulated, he called for LIV to close its doors entirely. His criticism extended to individual players who left the PGA Tour, drawing sharp public responses from within the LIV camp on more than one occasion.
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All of that history matters. It’s not about Chamblee being right or wrong, but it definitely colors how people take his comments. Even he admits it’s all just what he’s hearing through the grapevine. Remember when folks were guessing about DeChambeau’s next move? Same deal, lots of rumors, but Bryson ended up saying he’s sticking around until his 2026 contract is up.
So far, DeChambeau hasn’t said a word about heading back to the PGA Tour. Until he does, Chamblee’s comments are just that, comments. We all knew this question would pop up sooner or later, but only Bryson can really answer it.
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