On September 202, Bryson DeChambeau embarked on a new journey – YouTube. His channel, focused on golf tutorials, equipment reviews, and collaborations with other sports personalities, has gathered about 291 million views with his “Can I break 50” videos. But, something didn’t add up in the LIV Golf world last week. The league’s biggest YouTube star was nowhere to be found at their premier creator event. Bryson DeChambeau was oddly absent from “The Duels” at Trump Doral in Miami.

His channel’s most popular video is “Can I Break 50 With President Donald Trump?”  Instead, LIV chose Grant Horvat to headline the event despite his smaller following. This glaring contradiction left golf insiders scratching their heads. 

Bryson DeChambeau’s authenticity journey through YouTube

Now, the mystery is being dissected (with blurry lines) on the “Under the Umbrellas” podcast by host Kira K. Dixon. “I was the same person, I just didn’t know how to be me, how to fully be me,” DeChambeau revealed in a recent interview. His YouTube channel—now with 1.8 million subscribers—became the perfect platform for self-discovery. “I didn’t realize how big of an impact it would actually be, and as time has gone on, it’s only gotten bigger and bigger,” he admitted, reflecting on a channel that now generates 17.4 million views monthly. The cameras presented him a clear choice: “I play this character or I be me”—he chose authenticity, investing over $1 million into a ten-person content team. This genuineness resonates powerfully while other golf channels face 7-39% viewership declines.

“It’s a testament to the people that I put around myself, not me,” Bryson humbly explained about his “Break 50” series, praised by Grant Horvat as “so good.” His collaboration videos regularly reach millions, with his Donald Trump feature hitting 13 million views. “What was really cool is getting in front of that camera,” he shared, describing how content evolved from golf cart conversations into viral challenges like his mansion hole-in-one attempts. “I’m just going to keep being me,” Bryson declared—a strategy generating over 2 billion watch minutes yearly.

Yet this declaration sits awkwardly against his unexplained absence from LIV’s creator event, especially when his channel now outperforms the PGA Tour’s subscriber count. Dixon called this missing presence “perplexing” during her latest podcast. This stark contradiction between DeChambeau’s content commitment and his event absence makes LIV Golf’s choice all the more puzzling.

Grant Horvat’s selection raises questions

Grant Horvat lacks DeChambeau’s subscriber count but was still chosen to host the event’s stream. His content style differs significantly from Bryson’s technically-focused approach. He was involved in the videos, successfully Break 50 on DeChambeau’s popular YouTube series. The reasons are unclear as to LIV’s choice here. Horvat typically creates more lifestyle-centered golf content with broader appeal to casual fans. This contrast might explain LIV’s surprising choice.

The decision could also stem from content rights issues within LIV Golf. Phil Mickelson previously criticized the PGA Tour for restricting player media opportunities. “We didn’t have an opportunity to do our own social media,” Mickelson stated. Ironically, some analysts now wonder if LIV is implementing similar restrictions.

DeChambeau’s massive popularity surge after his US Open victory directly benefited LIV Golf last year. The league reported a 240% increase in ticket sales following his win. They even called it the “Bryson bump” in official communications. His team’s merchandise sales skyrocketed by 985% during this period.

DeChambeau remains committed to LIV Golf despite this curious situation. “I’m very excited about the future of LIV Golf,” he stated firmly. But his absence from the creator event raises important questions about content control. Will his authentic YouTube journey face new obstacles? Or is there a simpler explanation we’re all missing? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!