It’s official, former US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau has joined LIV Golf. The announcement was made during the second round of the LIV Golf Invitational in London, which kicked off Thursday at Centurion Club for the series’ first-ever tournament.
“Bryson DeChambeau is an exciting addition to LIV Golf’s supercharged style of play. He is passionate about the sport, innovative in his approach and committed to pushing the boundaries in pursuit of excellence,” said Greg Norman, LIV Golf CEO and Commissioner.
“He’s not afraid to think outside the box and supports our mission of doing things differently to grow our game. The power and energy he brings to the course will deliver added electricity to our competition in Portland and beyond.”
One of the longest drivers in professional golf, DeChambeau is currently ranked 28th in the world. In addition to his 10 victories, the 28-year-old has six runner-up finishes and 40 top-10 finishes since turning pro in 2015. As an amateur, he became only the fifth player in history to win both the NCAA Division I championship and the U.S. Amateur in the same year.
DeChambeau joins a growing list of players who are joining LIV Golf with eight past major champions now in its ranks. As a result, DeChambeau will be suspended from the PGA Tour, as per Commission Jay Monahan’s letter sent to those defecting on Thursday.
“We have followed the Tournament Regulations from start to finish in responding to those players who have decided to turn their backs on the PGA TOUR by willfully violating a regulation,” wrote Monahan.
“Simultaneous to you receiving this memo, the players (listed below) are being notified that they are suspended or otherwise no longer eligible to participate in PGA TOUR tournament play, including the Presidents Cup.
“This also applies to all tours sanctioned by the PGA TOUR: the Korn Ferry Tour, PGA TOUR Champions, PGA TOUR Canada and PGA TOUR Latinoamérica.
“As you know, players listed below did not receive the necessary conflicting event and media rights releases – or did not apply for releases at all – and their participation in the Saudi Golf League/LIV Golf event is in violation of our Tournament Regulations.
“The same fate holds true for any other players who participate in future Saudi Golf League events in violation of our Regulations.”
LIV Golf quickly responded with a statement of its own, declaring: “Today’s announcement by the PGA Tour is vindictive and it deepens the divide between the Tour and its members.
“It’s troubling that the Tour, an organisation dedicated to creating opportunities for golfers to play the game, is the entity blocking golfers from playing.
“This certainly is not the last word on this topic. The era of free agency is beginning as we are proud to have a full field of players joining us in London, and beyond.”
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