Bryson DeChambeau says he’ll still watch next week’s President’s Cup at Quail Hollow but believes it’s sad that he and his fellow LIV players were unable to qualify for the U.S. and International sides.
Speaking ahead of the latest Saudi event in Chicago, DeChambeau believes that tournaments like the President’s Cup and Ryder Cup are only hurting themselves by omitting a number of LIV players who would’ve been otherwise eligible had they remained loyal to the PGA and DP World Tours.
“I personally think that the team events are only hurting themselves by not allowing us to play, not allowing us to qualify through some capacity, in some facet,” said DeChambeau.
“It is sad that those governing bodies have not allowed us to be able to qualify. That’s all I can say to that. I want to play in numerous events on the PGA Tour. It would be awesome.
“That’s what LIV Golf has tried to allow us to play on the PGA Tour. It’s the PGA Tour barring us from doing so.”
Indeed, DeChambeau has had his membership suspended like many others ahead of a February court date that will ultimately decide his fate.
Also high on the agenda remains LIV’s fight to earn Official World Golf Ranking points and while Bryson believes positives inroads have been made, granting points remains some way off just yet for the 54-hole, no-cut, shotgun start circuit.
“We’re doing anything and everything to satisfy the criteria of the OWGR,” said DeChambeau, who has now dropped to 43rd on the charts from a previous high of 5.
“A lot of great conversations back and forth between Peter Dawson, from what I could tell, and from what LIV officials could tell me, and that’s all. That’s all it is. We’re going to get to a conclusion hopefully here in the coming months in regards to how this is all going to work out.
“But yeah, there will be tweaks. There will be adjustments on both ends. It’s going to have to be. This has never been done before, and there has to be compromise if we want to work effectively in this ecosystem.”
Given the hostile relations between LIV and golf’s existing tours that has since seeped into the players’ locker-room, the ecosystem DeChambeau describes is more splintered than ever. Still, while many view LIV’s arrival as a takeover attempt of top tier golf, DeChambeau denied such claims; insisting such a bold move would never be his intention.
“Not my goal. I would never want that to be my goal,” DeChambeau said.
“I still look up to them and appreciate what they’ve done for the game in general. LIV Golf, certainly from my perspective and what I know, never wanted to do that.
“Again, they’ve had to play their cards the way they’ve had to based on the way the PGA TOUR has reacted, and that is what it is.
“They’re not putting the iron fist down. I don’t think they will. There’s no need to. But I personally believe that over the course of time, they will come to a resolution. There has to be. It’s only in the best interest of the game of golf down the road.
“What LIV Golf has provided is something new and unique, different, and with that to be said, there’s going to be some disruption and people aren’t going to like it, and I respect every single person that doesn’t think it’s good for the game of golf. I understand it, but I hope they are open-minded enough to go, you know what, let me just give it a chance, and if you give it a chance, you might see something pretty cool.”
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