Updated
Updated · Fox News · Aug 20
DeChambeau's Team Removes Reporter at LIV Finale as $20 Million Purse Shrinks to $10.1 Million
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Aug 20

DeChambeau's Team Removes Reporter at LIV Finale as $20 Million Purse Shrinks to $10.1 Million

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 20

Summary

  • Ryan French said a member of Bryson DeChambeau's team asked him to leave the driving range at LIV Indianapolis while he was watching DeChambeau practice.
  • A day earlier, DeChambeau greeted reporters with "the mafia has arrived" and accused them of loving to "talk s--t," though Golf.com said the remark was mostly joking.
  • French later said DeChambeau called him for about 20 minutes after the incident drew attention on social media, and he appreciated the outreach.
  • The flare-up comes as LIV Golf heads into its season finale under heavy uncertainty: Saudi Arabia's PIF said in April it will stop funding the circuit after 2026, and this week's purse fell to $10.1 million from the usual $20 million.
  • DeChambeau, 32, arrives after a T-38 at LIV New York and a major season with three missed cuts in four starts, while LIV's Team Championship in Michigan was already canceled.

Insights

With LIV Golf's funding drying up in 2026, could Bryson DeChambeau's media meltdown signal deeper panic among the league's biggest stars?
What really happened during that secret 20-minute phone call between DeChambeau and the reporter he had ejected from the driving range?
As purses shrink and championships vanish, will a radical new player-owned equity model be enough to save LIV Golf from total collapse?