Bitter $25M Reality Check Awaits Jay Monahan After Bryson DeChambeau’s Humbling of PGA Tour ‘Boys Club’

Bryson DeChambeau is already a well-known golfer due to his YouTube channel and strong performances on the greens. However, his popularity catapulted after winning the US Open. Not only did this boost his own popularity, but it also significantly boosted LIV Golf. Surprisingly, LIV Golf’s attention surged by more than 200%, attracting significant attention.

Now the spotlight is on LIV Golf itself, thanks to DeChambeau’s victory and the struggles of PGA Tour pros like Viktor Hovland, who couldn’t make the cut, let alone win the tournament. With the enthusiasts leaning more toward LIV, this might further impact Jay Monahan and his tour in terms of viewership.

How is Bryson DeChambeau’s popularity affecting the PGA Tour?

Recently, @_54Golf shared a post on X captioning “LIV Nashville to be the MOST ATTENDED league event on US SOIL Riding the BRYSON BUMP, LIV execs are seeing ENORMOUS GAINS in TICKET & MERCH SALES this week after the US Open win.” According to reports, LIV Golf experienced a 240% surge in its average daily ticket sales. Additionally, LIV Golf Nashville, the $25 million purse event, attracted ticket buyers from 15 different countries and all 50 US states. 

The competition at the US Open was fierce this year, and the difficulty of the course further contributed to the challenge. After the second round, the pros from the PGA Tour’s ‘boys club’ like Tiger Woods, Justin Thomas, and more missed the cut. Meanwhile, DeChambeau displayed incredible skills on the tough course, and after the final hole battle against Rory McIlroy, he claimed the title for himself by one stroke. Following this feat, the crowd is now more attracted toward LIV, as LIV Golf Nashville is witnessing a significant rise in fans. 

In addition, there has been a notable rise in merchandise sales as well, particularly with DeChambeau’s team, Crusher GC, seeing a 985% increase in buyers. This could potentially pose a significant challenge for Jay Monahan and the PGA Tour. Recently, the PGA Tour has observed a 20% decline in viewership, with no apparent action taken by Monahan to address this issue. If the commissioner remains silent and LIV Golf continues to make moves, there is a risk that PGA Tour viewership could decline further over time.

Greg Norman always focuses on enriching the overall fan experience. Thanks to his innovative approach, LIV Golf Adelaide drew a crowd of over 94,000, and further improvements are expected at LIV Golf Nashville. Speaking of making moves, Norman also recently came up with an idea to attract even more fans.

Greg Norman to plan the LIV Golf around Super Bowl LIX

Greg Norman is also actively contributing in order to attract more crowds toward the Saudi-backed league. Recent reports indicate that the Saudi-backed league is scheduling its events around Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans next February. It is because this year LIV Golf Las Vegas drew a huge crowd, thanks to fans who were in the city to watch the Super Bowl on the 11th. The final day of the tournament saw a large number of spectators, many wearing 49ers or Chiefs gear.

That’s not all; to further enhance the attraction, LIV Golf has partnered with Maserati, a luxury car brand valued at around $65.55 billion. Maserati will be prominently featured at three upcoming LIV tournaments and serve as the official automotive partner for the league, including events in Nashville and Chicago in mid-September. Do you think that with the constant moves, LIV Golf will take over the PGA Tour? Share your thoughts in the comments below!