The relationship between Tiger Woods and Bryson DeChambeau appears to have been fractured by the latter’s decision to leave the PGA Tour and join Saudi-backed LIV Golf.
DeChambeau told reporters that Woods has cut him off since he made the switch:
“He’s been a great friend. I texted him on his birthday. It is what it is. He has his viewpoints on it and thinks we’re potentially hurting his record. If anything, nobody is ever going to touch his record. That’s just it, that’s the bottom line. There’s a chance to grow the game even more and I hope one day he’ll see the vision that we all have out here.”
DeChambeau won the 2020 U.S. Open and eight PGA Tour titles before joining LIV Golf in June. He received a contract worth a reported $125 million, not including tournament winnings.
The 29-year-old has yet to win an LIV Golf event and has finished in the top 10 just twice. Through two events of the 2023 season, DeChambeau finished 44th at LIV Tucson and 24th at Mayakoba.
Woods has been vocal in speaking out against LIV Golf and has made it known that he’s not a big fan of its CEO, Greg Norman. However, DeChambeau said he enjoys competing on LIV Golf and doesn’t miss the PGA Tour.
“I miss nothing,” DeChambeau said. “I mean, I love the fans, I love the people who came to support me. I loved all that.”
Woods and DeChambeau had been friends for a while and played a lot of practice rounds together before the latter made the switch to LIV Golf.
Critics have argued that Saudi Arabia is using LIV to engage in sportswashing—using sports teams, leagues and events as a way for a nation to distract from its misdeeds, including human rights violations, and improve its global reputation. The Saudi Public Investment Fund, which owns LIV, has also invested in hosting Formula 1 and WWE events and purchased the Premier League’s Newcastle United in 2021.
Source: bleacherreport
