Bryson DeChambeau’s future in golf remains unclear as LIV crumbles around him and the PGA attempts to woo him back when his contract reportedly expires later this year.
And as DeChambeau finished 10-over after Friday’s round at Aronimink Golf Club in this week’s PGA Championship, following a Masters tournament in which he also failed to make the weekend cut, ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt threw cold water on the theory that DeChambeau can continue to succeed at the highest levels while playing the majority of his golf for YouTube content.
“The suggestion that he could go be a YouTube player and then just show up and play in the majors, that’s just not a realistic thought. You have to be competitively sharp to come out here and play the hardest courses in the world against the best players in the world,” Van Pelt explained in an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show before Friday’s round.
“We saw the height of his popularity when he won at Pinehurst … that to me was sort of his peak moment of power. And you can do that, you can be an influencer, be a YouTube player, and I’m sure you could monetize that and make a pile. But ultimately, you make your bones in this game and your legend in this game being a major-championship player.”
Previously, DeChambeau said it would be “incredibly viable” for him to skip the smaller PGA tournaments, playing golf for YouTube in the downtime between the four major tournaments. The PGA recently updated its social media policy, allowing players to film more content at tournament sites but mandating that YouTube ad revenue still be redirected to the tour, a move widely seen as an attempt to appease players like DeChambeau, who have developed major followings online.
Some of the videos DeChambeau posts to his 2.7 million YouTube subscribers are focused play-throughs on top courses, but many are gimmicks or laid-back rounds designed around interviews.
Van Pelt believes that for DeChambeau to be competitive and truly write his legacy in golf, the two-time major winner must return to the rigors of the PGA Tour.
“For your popularity to continue to ascend or at least maintain its place, you need to be part of the weekend’s story in the biggest tournaments of the year,” the ESPN host said.
Unfortunately for DeChambeau, that may mean taking a hit financially and having a little less fun.
About Brendon Kleen
Brendon is a Media Commentary staff writer at Awful Announcing. He has also covered basketball and sports business at Front Office Sports, SB Nation, Uproxx and more.