McIlroy Says DeChambeau Has Few Options After LIV Golf Stalls
The Northern Irishman believes the two-time major winner’s path back to competitive golf is narrowing as the LIV Golf venture struggles to gain traction.
By Sarah Reynolds ·
Rory McIlroy believes Bryson DeChambeau has limited choices if he wants to continue playing competitive golf. The assessment comes as the DP World Tour Championship begins, a tournament where McIlroy aims to tie Colin Montgomerie for the most Race to Dubai titles. With the LIV Golf 2.0 project failing to launch as planned, players who once considered that circuit their permanent home are searching for new venues.
The DP World Tour has emerged as the primary destination for these athletes, given the PGA Tour’s current policies. Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton have already crossed back to the DP World Tour. They are waiting to determine if a pathway to the PGA Tour will open for them in 2027. DeChambeau holds status on the DP World Tour for the upcoming season thanks to his victory at the 2024 U.S. Open, though he has not confirmed his plans to compete.
DeChambeau recently stated he will play in the Nedbank Golf Challenge in December before assessing his situation for next year. When asked about the 33-year-old’s future, McIlroy noted that DeChambeau brings attention to tournaments. “I think a name like Bryson DeChambeau and everything he brings with him, good and bad, he brings eyeballs, which is a good thing for tournaments,” McIlroy said. “And honestly, look, I’m certainly not in his shoes, and nor would I ever want to be, but it doesn’t seem like he’s got many options. You know, if he wants to play competitive golf, it doesn’t seem like he’s got many options.”
In May, DeChambeau suggested his schedule could eventually include the four major championships alongside video production for his YouTube channel. That channel has surpassed 3 million subscribers. Since his last competitive appearance at LIV Golf Indianapolis in August, DeChambeau has released seven new videos. These range from challenges with Gary Player to interactions with the Amish.
In early 2026, the PGA Tour targeted DeChambeau, Rahm, Cameron Smith, and Brooks Koepka via the Returning Member Program. This pathway offered a window to return to the PGA Tour under strict stipulations with penalties. Only Koepka accepted the offer, exiting his LIV Golf contract. DeChambeau’s relationship with the PGA Tour remains complicated due to his actions in 2022, when he joined 11 other LIV Golf members in filing a lawsuit against the tour. He challenged the suspensions and the withholding of Player Impact Program money. DeChambeau withdrew his name from the suit a year later and continued with LIV Golf, where he has carried more than water for the last four years.
