Bryson DeChambeau finds himself in an enviably powerful position as he negotiates a potential blockbuster contract extension with LIV Golf, amplified by Brooks Koepka’s high-profile exit and return to the PGA Tour.
Reports from The Telegraph and Forbes suggest DeChambeau is eyeing a record-shattering $500 million deal, as LIV scrambles to retain its most marketable star amid ongoing challenges with financial stability.
Koepka’s departure in late December 2025, followed by his PGA Tour reinstatement on January 12, 2026, under the new Returning Member Program, has created ripple effects. The five-time major winner cited personal reasons and a desire for more domestic competition, accepting penalties including a $5 million charitable donation and forfeiture of future equity earnings.
LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil responded with measured acceptance: “I believe in free agency, I believe in open pathways. I believe that people should be where they want to be.”
This shift has handed DeChambeau unprecedented leverage. At LIV’s preseason media days in Florida on January 13-14, 2026, DeChambeau addressed his status directly: “I’m contracted through 2026, so I’m excited about this year.” He remained noncommittal beyond that, noting, “I have no idea what’s going to happen in a year.”
Sources indicate DeChambeau’s camp is leveraging the PGA Tour’s reinstatement offer as a key chip in negotiations.
DeChambeau has been candid about the negotiations, describing them as “confidential” but progressing: “The conversations are in process. We have to get to a place where both parties have a good understanding of one another. It is getting to a place that makes sense for both sides. And, I think that can happen, but you never know. Life throws curveballs.” He acknowledged Koepka’s move as a “shock” that “definitely throws in some unique things,” while praising LIV’s CEO (Scott O’Neil): “Things have got to change. Things have got to improve. And I think Scott’s done a fabulous job with the year that he’s had.”
Perhaps most intriguing, DeChambeau highlighted viable alternatives to staying with LIV: “It’s where I want to be, but ultimately, it’s got to make sense for everybody. Because I could just do YouTube golf and be totally fine as well.”
The 2024 U.S. Open winner described full-time YouTube content creation, while still competing in majors, as an “incredibly viable option,” emphasizing his goal for a “solution that makes sense in the long term. If not, we’ll play this year and see what happens.”
The PGA Tour’s Returning Member Program extended an olive branch to DeChambeau (along with Jon Rahm and Cameron Smith) until February 2, 2026.
Rahm echoed: “I’m not planning on going anywhere.” LIV responded by announcing the increase of 2026 prize money to $30 million per event and adding new talent like PGA Tour winners Thomas Detry and Byeong Hun An.
Industry observers note that Koepka’s exit has made retaining DeChambeau critical for LIV amid reported financial struggles and viewership challenges. As one analyst put it bluntly: “If I’m Bryson DeChambeau, I’m going into that LIV contract negotiation asking, with a straight face, for 500 million U.S. dollars. If he leaves, it’s over. Leverage on leverage on leverage.”
With LIV’s season opener set for February 4 in Saudi Arabia, the negotiations represent a high-stakes showdown. DeChambeau holds the upper hand, and the outcome could define LIV’s trajectory, or signal further cracks in the Saudi-backed venture.
