As funding dries up and lawsuits mount, the two-time major champion breaks his silence on the league’s fragile survival plan and the possibility of total collapse.
Bryson DeChambeau isn't ready to give up on LIV Golf.
But even one of the league's biggest stars seems to understand that he might not have much of a choice.
DeChambeau urged the golf world to remain "open-minded" and give LIV "one more shot" as the league fights to secure the funding and player support necessary to continue beyond this season, ESPN reported.
And he didn't exactly sugarcoat the situation.
"It's tough, it's not easy," DeChambeau said after shooting an opening-round 65 at LIV's final event of the season. "We definitely have a lot against us."
That's probably putting it lightly when you consider everything that's happened over the past few months.
Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund announced in April that it would stop funding LIV following this season, leaving the league searching for another path forward.
LIV has since canceled two events, including its planned season finale in Michigan, while also facing multiple lawsuits from vendors over missed payments. Indianapolis subsequently became the league's season finale.
But there is still a potential lifeline.
CEO Scott O'Neil has spent the past few months pitching a different version of LIV, featuring a 10-event schedule split between five international and five U.S. events, smaller purses and player equity in the league.
LIV has also signed a term sheet with an outside investor, later identified in reporting as Ted Goldthorpe of BC Partners. ESPN reported that the agreement has yet to be finalized, with player commitments appearing to be an important piece of getting it across the finish line.
That's where DeChambeau becomes pretty important.
The two-time major champion has been at the forefront of the push to keep LIV going, including leading a player meeting at Trump Bedminster. O'Neil has also said DeChambeau has been heavily involved in advocating for the league to continue.
So when Rory McIlroy recently questioned what value LIV players have brought to the breakaway league, DeChambeau had an answer.
"I hope people can see that we actually bring value to the game of golf," DeChambeau said.
But his most interesting comments weren't about convincing McIlroy. They were about what happens if LIV can't convince everyone else.
"If it works, it works, and that's awesome," DeChambeau said. "If it doesn't, we'll figure things out and time will move on."
That's quite the admission from one of LIV's loudest supporters.
LIV launched just over four years ago as a new alternative in professional golf. Now it's trying to secure the funding and player commitments necessary to keep going beyond 2026.
DeChambeau is doing his part to make sure it gets the chance.
But for perhaps the first time, he's also openly acknowledging what happens if it doesn't.
