It has been another reminder of the power of Bryson DeChambeau.
And no matter what happened on Sunday in the final round of US Open at Pinehurst, the most powerful golfer not on the weekly PGA Tour had already proven the point.
Golf needs more real golfers.
Huge names. Must-see swingers. Star attractions worth following, retweeting and loudly arguing over in 2024.
The NFL, Premier League, NBA and the rest of the best run the sports world.
Golf, fractured and divided, is increasingly an afterthought unless it’s majors time again or the world’s No. 1 — normally flat, boring and far too methodical — is suddenly being arrested on live TV for driving the wrong way in Kentucky.
What happens every time that DeChambeau lifts his name near the top of the Masters, PGA Championship or US Open?
Buzzing rounds — including a three-stroke lead entering Sunday at unforgiving and super-fast Pinehurst — are followed by DeChambeau returning to LIV, to play in another second-rate tournament that will barely make a dent in the golf world.
What a shame.
What a huge missed opportunity for a beautiful sport that keeps going out of its way to get it wrong.
LIV is never going to work — ever.
With its silly team names — RangeGoats, Cleeks and Majesticks wouldn’t make the grade in high school — and random tourneys spread out weeks apart, golf fans across the world deserve the world’s best united under one umbrella.
Instead, you have to first remember that DeChambeau technically plays for the ‘Crushers,’ then try to find LIV on the world sports map after Xander Schauffele downed champagne out of the Wanamaker Trophy and a confused Scottie Scheffler ended up in the back of a police cruiser.
“Bryson DeChambeau is an exciting addition to LIV Golf’s supercharged style of play,” CEO Greg Norman said in June 2022.
“He is passionate about the sport, innovative in his approach and committed to pushing the boundaries in pursuit of excellence.
“He’s not afraid to think outside the box and supports our mission of doing things differently to grow our game.
“The power and energy he brings to the course will deliver added electricity to our competition and beyond.”
Supercharged style of play.
Passionate about the sport.
Innovative in his approach.
Think outside the box.
That’s exactly what golf needs right now.
But DeChambeau has intentionally sent himself to the minor leagues, joining Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Bubba Watson and Phil Mickelson on the contemporary money-grab tour.
This is exactly when DeChambeau should be cashing in for his sport.
He’s 30 now and much wiser.
Heck, he’s even become likeable, having almost triumphed at Valhalla and becoming a final-round fan favorite at Pinehurst.
The NBA is turning Anthony Edwards and Luka Doncic into the next big things as a 39-year-old LeBron James walks to the edge of his athletic sunset.
The NFL has Patrick Mahomes just touching the start of his athletic prime but already in the GOAT conversation, while Tom Brady gets brutally roasted on Netflix.
Many of the best names in the golf world are playing on a weird, alternate tour that barely exists on TV.
Everything is on TV in 2024, which means that LIV has a serious problem.
Tiger Woods has won three tournaments in the last decade.
An aching Woods is 48, was the worst golfer to make the cut at the recent Masters, and couldn’t even reach that third-round dividing line at the PGA Championship or the US Open.
No one will replace Woods at his peak — ever.
But more DeChambeau every week would go a long way for golf right now.
What a shame that the most exciting golfer on the planet is so hard to find on TV in 2024.
Unless he’s dominating the US Open heading into the final day at one of the toughest golf courses on the planet.
News Summary:
- The PGA Tour needs fan-favorite Bryson DeChambeau on the course every week and the end of LIV drama
- Check all news and articles from the latest Golf updates.