Phil Mickelson has never been one to shy away from a bold take, and in his recent appearance on The Joe Pomp Show, he shared his stance on something he has been vocal about for years: ‘Golf’s need to connect with a younger audience.’ And in doing so, he gave major credit to Bryson DeChambeau for leading the charge.

LIV Golf has been making big moves in the digital space, and according to Mickelson, DeChambeau has been at the forefront of that push. “I think the biggest aspect of also growing that is the YouTube stuff. I think that is where a lot of the younger golfers and a lot of the younger generation are starting to interact. We’re starting to make a push into that space, and Bryson’s been the leader of it because he’s shown what it can do and what the possibilities are.”

And he’s not wrong. When DeChambeau made the jump to LIV, plenty of PGA Tour loyalists called him out. But instead of backing down, he leaned into it and made sure to win those fans back. Today, his Break 50 YouTube channel has 1.71 million subscribers, and it’s not just about him anymore. The audience he’s built is helping bring more fans to LIV as a whole.

Even LIV golfer David Puig also gave a shout-out to 2x open champion, recognizing just how much DeChambeau’s efforts have changed the way people see LIV. “I think Bryson is doing a good job too with, you know,” Puig said.

Between YouTube, direct fan interactions, and creative sponsorship deals, DeChambeau is pulling in a younger audience in a way the PGA Tour simply hasn’t. And for Phil Mickelson, that’s exactly what golf needs.

The PGA Tour’s aging fan base is a real problem

If you think ‘viewership’ is the only problem with the PGA Tour, think again. The reality is that the Tour’s fan base is getting older—really fast. “On the PGA Tour, our fan base was getting older and continues to get older,” Mickelson pointed out. And it’s not just a little older, either. The average PGA Tour fan is about 65 years old, making it the oldest fan base of any major sport.

LIV, on the other hand, is doing something different. “LIV’s audience is about half that age,” Mickelson said. A big part of that shift is LIV’s embrace of new media and fresh ways to engage with fans. They’re not just focusing on content, either. They’re also seeing growth through their team model. Teams with strong geographic identities, like Ripper GC in Australia or Torque GC in South America, are building real followings.

And when it comes to viewership, LIV has got it covered. They’ve already secured a multi-year media rights deal with Fox Sports for 2025. With 14 events spanning from Riyadh to Chicago, LIV is making sure fans can tune in on Fox, FS1, and streaming platforms.

So, the point is pretty clear, if golf wants to survive long-term, it needs to evolve. The PGA Tour has struggled to attract younger fans, but LIV is making moves to avoid that same fate. And with DeChambeau leading the way in the digital space, they might just be onto something big.