PGA Tour Pro Unimpressed by Bryson DeChambeau’s Urgent ‘Unification’ Plea; Taunts LIV Golfer With 1-Word Jibe

Bryson DeChambeau is concerned that fans are ticked off because of the merger delay. Speaking from Miami, where he will tee off at the fifth LIV event of the calendar year, DeChambeau said the earlier the PGA Tour and PIF, LIV Golf’s financial backer, could reach an agreement, the better. However, Michael S. Kim, a one-time winner on the Tour, feels it’s rich coming from the man who defected to the other side. 

DeChambeau was one of the first few PGA Tour pros to jump ship. The former U.S. Open Champion reportedly joined LIV Golf for around $125M, which was one of the highest contracts offered at that point. Two years later, DeChambeau’s laments haven’t sat well with most, including Kim.

Michael S Kim laughs at Bryson DeChambeau

Nuclr Golf posted DeChambeau’s comments at length on their X (previously known as Twitter) handle. The 30-year-old said, “I want to be competing every week, with all of the best players in the world for sure… And it needs to happen fast. It’s not a two-year thing. Like it needs to happen quicker rather than later just for the good of the sport. Too many people are losing interest.” DeChambeau has spoken in favor of a quick fix earlier as well. 

The PIF-funded side has snatched a chunk of PGA Tour elites, with Jon Rahm being the latest. Earlier, Rory McIlroy, commented that the strength of the field has definitely reduced without players like Rahm, Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, and others. And, in a more recent interview, the Northern Irish pro reasoned that more fans will lose interest if the division persists.

DeChambeau agreed with McIlroy from Trump Doral. But Michael S. Kim, probably the most active PGA Tour Pro on social media after Max Homa, scorned the Crushers GC captain. The PGA Tour Pro simply replied to the post, commenting, “LOL”. Kim appears to share the same opinion as Scottie Scheffler, who boldly claimed that players who defected are the ones who should shoulder the blame for tearing the game asunder.

The PGA Tour has been witnessing a year-on-year decline in viewership. Scottie Scheffler’s history-shattering victory at THE PLAYERS Championship failed to turn the tide as well. The situation on the other side is no better either. Expectations were high that both sides might announce something positive before the Masters, but that hasn’t been the case, as many thorny issues still linger on. 

Where is the merger headed?

The PGA Tour player-directors most recently met PIF Chief, Yasir Al-Rumayyan in Tiger Woods’s Albany resort. The 15-time Major champion apparently took an active interest in leading the talks. Although the first meeting didn’t offer a decisive verdict on which way the merger might go, it showed that both parties were willing to sit together and iron out the differences. 

One sticking point is obviously the inclusion of players who left for the breakaway side. Rory McIlroy, a former PGA Tour policy board member, doesn’t feel punishment is a way to go forward. Whereas, Justin Thomas, Rickie Fowler, and Scottie Scheffler would prefer to see some sort of repercussion for players like Bryson DeChambeau should they want to play in PGA Tour events as well. 

Meanwhile, The Tour has secured a $3 billion investment from Strategic Sports Group, a consortium of big-money sports team owners led by Fenway Sports Group. Jay Monahan has been named as the CEO of the newly formed for-profit entity. The board consists of all six current player-directors, four members from SSG, in addition to Jay Monahan, Joe Gorder, and Joe Ogilvie. Tiger Woods has been named as the Vice Chairman of the board. 

Read More: “I’m Putting My Trust in Yasir”: Phil Mickelson Reveals; Backs Rory McIlroy’s “Not Sustainable” Remarks