Bryson DeChambeau has six days left to determine whether he will take up DP World Tour membership for the 2027 season.
DeChambeau, whose next start will come in December at the Nedbank Golf Challenge in South Africa, is eligible for full DP World Tour membership thanks to his victory at the 2024 U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2.
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As for whether DeChambeau will take the option remains to be seen. On Sunday, he broke his silence over the collapse of LIV Golf but didn’t really give a glimpse into what was next for his career outside of his next start. DeChambeau was LIV’s biggest star, but with the league shuttering operations, he and dozens of other golfers are trying to find landing spots for 2027 and beyond.
On Tuesday ahead of the DP World Tour Championship, Rory McIlroy was asked about DeChambeau and what his presence could do for the DP World Tour. McIlroy’s answer was a blunt assessment.
“Look, I think a name like Bryson DeChambeau and everything he brings with him, good and bad, he brings eyeballs, which is a good thing for tournaments,” McIlroy said. “And honestly, look, I’m certainly not in his shoes, and nor would I ever want to be but it doesn’t seem like he’s got many options. If he wants to play competitive golf, it doesn’t seem like he’s got many options.”
The PGA Tour has given no inclination it’s going to extend an olive branch to stars like DeChambeau or Jon Rahm, who won last week’s Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship. That means players need to take whatever options are available to them if they want to play professional golf. Rahm and others have said they plan to play on the DP World Tour next year but also left the door open to a PGA Tour return, if it was available. Meanwhile, DeChambeau has been mum.
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DeChambeau is one of golf’s biggest stars. In his social media post Sunday, he reiterated his passion remains to grow the game. One way of doing that would be playing on the DP World Tour and continuing to travel the world and compete. Simply playing professional golf, not retreating to a world of just YouTube golf and the majors is better for fans of the game because of the star DeChambeau is.
McIlroy – and likely many others – realize the impact DeChambeau can have wherever he plays. Playing the DP World Tour would be a tremendous benefit for that circuit. But as for what he’ll end up doing, DeChambeau has kept those plans close to the vest.
Cameron Jourdan is an assistant editor of Golfweek, covering college and amateur golf, the PGA Tour and plenty more. Follow Cameron on X/Twitter (@Cam_Jourdan) or Instagram (@GolfweekJourdan).
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Bryson DeChambeau to DP World Tour? Rory McIlroy says former LIV star lacks alternatives
