Bryson DeChambeau has defended LIV Golf after he and Brooks Koepka were booed at the PGA Championship following their moves to the controversial circuit.
The American made the move last year. However, LIV Golf has been mired in controversy since the outset, particularly given it is funded by Saudi Arabia, which has led to accusations that the kingdom is using the venture to sportswash its appalling human rights record.
Despite nearly a year having passed since LIV Golf’s opening tournament, it was clear at Oak Hill Country Club what some still think about DeChambeau’s big-money move. However, as he prepares for this week’s LIV Golf DC tournament, the 2020 US Open winner insisted he made the right decision.
He said: “I mean, look, we’re here to play golf. We’re contracted to play golf. I think the most important part is to provide great entertainment wherever possible on whatever platform that is, whatever platform that provides it. When you can talk about ethics, that’s people’s perception. I completely disagree with it, but everyone has the right to their own opinion, and I’d say, was it worth it? Absolutely.”
DeChambeau then said LIV Golf will only get stronger, and that it will become increasingly apparent that it is making a positive impact. He said: “This has been beyond my dreams, what I could have imagined this becoming, and it’s only getting better.
“I think over the course of time, like many have said, you’ll see what good and what positive impact we’re having, and what we continue to keep doing every single tournament and growing and helping out the communities and inspiring junior golfers , helping people that are struggling, you’re just going to see more and more of that, and I hope that, again, the media and everybody can see the light that we’re trying to bring.”
Earlier in the week, Koepka’s swing instructor Claude Harmon III leapt to the defense of LIV Golf players by ripping into the media’s coverage of the venture. He said: “You guys all think LIVs, maybe you’ve changed your tune, but initially, it was all just b******, a bunch of guys playing who didn’t care, who got the money, who got the bag, and it’s 54 holes and there’s no competition and all that.
“So it was easy for you guys to just pretend like these guys just weren’t good players anymore. And I think you guys largely did that because you drank the Kool-Aid of everybody else.”
For this week’s LIV Golf event, DeChambeau welcomes Andy Ogletree to his Crushers GC team, who replaces the injured Paul Casey.