Bryson DeChambeau Voices Frustration Over LIV Golf's Shift to 72 Holes
Bryson DeChambeau has never been one to shy away from speaking his mind, and this time, it’s LIV Golf’s latest rule change that’s drawing his ire. The long-hitting two-time U.S. Open champion, known for his analytical approach and booming drives, appears less than thrilled with the league’s decision to expand from its signature 54-hole format to the traditional 72-hole setup for the 2026 season.
In a recent interview, DeChambeau didn’t mince words when reflecting on the change.
“It’s definitely changed away from what we had initially been told it was going to be,” he said. “So there is some movement that we’ve all been, I would say, interested in and going, ‘Why that movement?’ Because we were told it was going to be this.”
Translation: this isn’t the vision he signed up for.
When LIV Golf launched in 2022, one of its biggest selling points-aside from the massive paydays-was a lighter schedule. Three rounds instead of four, less grind, more global travel, and a team-based format that promised to shake up the traditional golf ecosystem.
For players like DeChambeau, that was part of the appeal. But now, with the league pivoting toward the same 72-hole format used by the PGA Tour and DP World Tour, the identity of LIV is starting to blur.
“Is it what we ultimately signed up for? No,” DeChambeau admitted. “So I think we’re supposed to be different, so I’m a little indifferent to it right now.”
He’s still under contract for the 2026 season and says he’s excited to keep competing-particularly with his Crushers GC squad-but it’s clear the change has left him questioning the league’s direction.
“Hopefully, it weighs positively on me over the course of time, but you never know. I’m not sure. We didn’t sign up to play for 72 (holes).”
That last line cuts to the heart of the matter. DeChambeau joined LIV expecting a different kind of grind. Now it’s starting to look a lot more like the one he left behind.
Meanwhile, the landscape around him is shifting. Brooks Koepka, another marquee name who helped launch LIV Golf, has already made his way back to the PGA Tour. He became the first high-profile player to utilize the new Returning Members Program-an agreement that allows former LIV players to rejoin the PGA Tour, but not without cost.
Koepka had to part with $5 million in charitable donations and accept a five-year ban from both the lucrative Player Equity Program and the 2026 FedEx Cup bonus pool. That’s a potential loss of somewhere between $50 million and $85 million in earnings.
Still, Koepka didn’t hesitate. He teed it up at the Farmers Insurance Open this past weekend and finished T-54-his first PGA Tour start since leaving for LIV.
Patrick Reed, another former LIV golfer, is taking a different route. Since he doesn’t qualify for the return program, he’s set to play on the DP World Tour throughout the 2026 season, with plans to rejoin the PGA Tour in 2027.
As for DeChambeau, he had the option to return under the same program as Koepka. As a two-time U.S.
Open winner, he met the eligibility criteria. But when the deadline came and went, he didn’t opt in.
He’s keeping his cards close to the vest, but he has floated a wildcard option: stepping away from both LIV and the PGA Tour entirely to focus on streaming full-time while still competing in the majors. It’s a path that sounds unconventional, but in today’s golf world-where content creation and brand-building are nearly as important as birdies and bogeys-it’s not as far-fetched as it once seemed.
For now, DeChambeau remains with LIV, contract in hand and questions swirling. The move to 72 holes may not sit well with him, but one thing’s for sure: Bryson’s not afraid to voice his concerns, and in a sport that’s constantly evolving, his next move will be one to watch.