Bryson DeChambeau won’t return to PGA Tour this year, though noncommittal to LIV beyond 2026

Bryson DeChambeau is not returning to the PGA Tour – not yet anyway.

Speaking with Ben Parsons of Today’s Golfer at LIV Golf’s preview event Tuesday in South Florida, DeChambeau noted that he was “surprised” about Brooks Koepka’s immediate pathway back to the PGA Tour but that he would not be following Koepka in leaving LIV before the PGA Tour’s Feb. 2 deadline.

DeChambeau did not, however, pledge a long-term commitment to the Saudi-backed circuit.

“I’ve got a contract this year, and that’s just going to be an ever-evolving conversation,” DeChambeau told Parsons. “Hopefully, I’m back next year. I’m excited for the potential of LIV. It just has to make sense for both sides, and we’ll move forward in a cool direction if that’s the case. I certainly don’t want to let [my Crushers teammates] down.”

Koepka announced last month that he’d be departing LIV after four seasons and with one year left on his contract. He then re-applied for PGA Tour membership last week before the PGA Tour unveiled Monday its Returning Member Program, which extends major winners from 2022-25 – DeChambeau, Jon Rahm and Cameron Smith are the only other players who qualify – a one-time offer to return to the PGA Tour, though with hefty financial penalty, including a $5 million charitable donation, no FedExCup bonus money this year and a five-year ban on receiving equity grants from the Tour’s new for-profit entity.

According to PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp, Koepka stands to miss out on $50-85 million in potential earnings.

“I didn’t know he’d be willing to give that much back,” DeChambeau said. “That’s everybody’s prerogative. Everybody has their own wants and needs.”

Rahm and Smith also revealed their intentions on Tuesday. Rahm said, per LIV’s Matt Vicenzi, “I’m not planning on going anywhere,” while Smith was more emphatic, saying, “I’ll be out here for years to come.”

DeChambeau appears to be less certain on his LIV future. Also on Tuesday, DeChambeau posted a photo to his Instagram story of him standing in front of a stairwell sign that read, “exit,” accompanied by a questionnaire badge asking, “What would you do?”

While DeChambeau told Parsons he still sees “tremendous value” in the global impact of his franchise and teammates, Charles Howell III, Paul Casey and Anirban Lahiri, who will all return this season as well, he also “can’t future-predict anything.”

“It’s really dependent on other people’s decisions at this point,” DeChambeau added.

DeChambeau has finished eighth or better in LIV’s season-long standings in three straight seasons, including third last season. He owns three wins, too, plus the 2024 U.S. Open while a LIV member and a spot on last year’s U.S. Ryder Cup team.

DeChambeau told the outlet Flushing It last month that he was contracted with LIV through 2026 but was in negotiations to extend.

“It’s confidential,” DeChambeau said. “I’m not going to share too much, but the conversations are in process. We have to get to a place where both parties have a good understanding of one another. It is getting to a place that makes sense for both sides. And I think that can happen, but you never know.”