When investigating a situation like DeChambeau’s connection to the presidential council, it’s important to take note of the demographics of the sport, as it influences the way his role may be perceived. The median age of traditional TV PGA viewers is about 64 years old. However, with the newer, faster paced LIV Golf, it’s been found that 71% of their viewers are 18-34 years old. DeChambeau is famously involved with LIV, and his influence on a younger generation may be more significant than once realized.
As stated earlier, a good example of this came when DeChambeau did his ‘Breaking 50’ challenge with President Trump in July, many would argue it had some type of impact on election results in the 18-34 age range. The fun, quick hitting style of this video made Trump feel more human / accessible, which had to have some draw for his 16.7 million viewers. The video is about an hour long, and is part of a larger wave of “YouTube Golfers” that have taken over the internet. Many golfers don’t need to take as much of a traditional route thanks to this alternate avenue, which has allowed for opportunities based on their personalities on the internet, combined with how good they can be at golfing. DeChambeau, an established professional himself, has promoted this brand of golf, which has changed his public perception considerably, similarly to Trump. It has allowed him to rebuild trust with his audience, which, in turn, puts faith in his position he’s held with the revived President’s council over the past year.
Earlier this year, DeChambeau discovered that he didn’t own the rights to his own YouTube Channel, as it stated in his LIV contract that the tour owned those rights. Because of this, he held out of ‘the duels’ with LIV in April. The plan for these was to include a mixture of professionals combined with a group of YouTube creators – in a nine-hole scramble. DeChambeau holding out of this was a big news story at the time, and the issue being another money / contract dispute didn’t surprise many with knowledge surrounding LIV’s past. Many speculated that he would leave LIV the next chance he got, which is when his contract expires next year.
Video explanation on why DeChambeau missed the duels
Despite all that, DeChambeau remains confident that he and LIV will work out a solution, and he has no plans to leave the tour in the near future. He actually emphasized that he wants to get an extension done, and those talks are rumored to pick up in the coming weeks. The unique part of this ordeal is that there’s no precedent to give us an idea of where things may be headed. The contract details are completely confidential to the public eye, as the league is run out of Saudi Arabia, where it’s hard to get a full report on details, due to the nature in which journalists have been treated in that country. All that was reported at the time of the original contract – 4.5 years, with upwards of 100 million paid to DeChambeau. He remains confident that LIV can find a path to profit over the next few years, and speaks with plenty of optimism when last heard talking about future deals with the league.
DeChambeau speaks on future with LIV.
As we mentioned before, many have argued that the funding source of LIV is questionable, to say the least. DeChambeau’s response to this was to just move on from that aspect, and to realize that the investors are trying to expand upon a sport that he loves dearly. But, it’s hard to just ‘move on’ from something as unethical as LIV’s sources of funding. Given the track record that Saudi has had in the past – when it comes to human rights, price gouging oil, etc.
DeChambeau responds to critics
The PIF (the source), aka the Public Investment Fund has invested in events like the FIFA World Cup, LIV golf (of course), Formula 1 (Mclaren team), four domestic Saudi football clubs: Al Hilal, Al Nassr (yes, the team Ronaldo currently plays for), Al Ittihad, and Al Alhi, among other sports as well. This group invested 400 million dollars to get Ronaldo to play in Saudi Arabia for just two years. Something about this comes off as desperation, but for what? These attempts to invest in sports can appear as ‘smart PR control’ to many, and don't seem to be coming from a place of pure intention.
To give more background, the PIF is run mostly unchecked by Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman. He’s the “de facto ruler” of Saudi Arabia, and has faced criticism for the modernization of many Saudi regions. The revamping he’s planned has displaced thousands of citizens that could not afford to live in his new cities. To make matters worse, anyone who tries to protest his rulings may face extensive jail time, and in some cases, be murdered. In fact, in 2018, a journalist by the name of Jamal Khashoggi was murdered for speaking out against the Prince’s repressive regime. So this prompts the question for athletes like Ronaldo or DeChambeau: How do you expect people to ‘move on’ from this? This is your direct source of their income, and something impossible to ignore.
Overall, from both DeChambeau, and PIF as an institution, this comes off as damage control more than anything. It’s hard to believe that PIF has changed its ways in an instant, just because they’re willing to invest in sports that people care about. Many people also find issue in the fact they’re tearing major leagues apart with the creation / expansion they’ve invested in. For example, the PGA tour simply can not pay athletes the same type of money the PIF can afford to, because they don’t have $1.15 trillion in assets. Conversely, the PGA is worth around $12 billion. The PGA started to let players hold equity in the tour in 2024, which allows for a stable income source for the players, which had been one of the main concerns for players who remain on tour.