Bryson DeChambeau leads LIV Golf players-only meeting at Trump Bedminster

BEDMINSTER, N.J. — Amid the ongoing uncertainty of the future of LIV Golf, league members met in a players-only setting at Trump National Bedminster on Tuesday, with Bryson DeChambeau leading discussions.

The extended player-exclusive talks followed a meeting that included CEO Scott O’Neil, the LIV Golf executive suite and the league’s team captains. Players exited the building with little willingness to offer details on the update they had received. Several players declined to comment on the session, but some, including Richard Bland, pointed to DeChambeau’s role in the meeting and cited a lack of definitive updates.

“Bryson just ran through what he knows, and obviously, we’re trying to do it as a group, but we’re individuals as well, so I think the next two to three weeks is going to be where it’s at,” Bland said. “We’re in this together; we’re fully backing Scott. I think probably in the next two to three weeks we’ll have a bigger picture.”

“We’re just in that kind of stage at the minute that we’re positive with what’s going on, but we just need everything to be fully signed off so you can go forward,” he continued.

The uncertainty Bland shared includes the prospect of LIV reportedly canceling its Team Championship, scheduled for Aug. 27-30 at The Cardinal in Plymouth, Mich. According to sources directly familiar with discussions, an official decision and announcement on whether that event will be played will not be made this week. The sources were granted anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. The Athletic visited The Cardinal last week, and the build-out for the event — including grandstands and other infrastructure — had not yet begun, which would be highly unusual for a golf tournament less than a month out.

“I don’t know,” Bland said when asked about updates on the Team Championship’s fate. “You know, we’ve just got to wait and see on that.”

The LIV Team Championship features a $40 million purse. Not staging it would represent substantial cost savings to LIV’s bottom line as it seeks new investment, but it would also be a significant black eye.

“We’ve been told to prepare as though it’s going ahead. So we’re expecting it to happen. I’m really unsure, but we had a great year there last year in Detroit, and we’re hoping we get back there,” Cameron Smith said in a news conference earlier Tuesday.

DeChambeau breezed by reporters waiting outside the player locker room after the meetings, choosing not to comment. O’Neil also declined to comment to The Athletic.

When asked about DeChambeau’s message to players in the session, Lee Westwood said: “No, I’m not talking about it. Blandy shouldn’t be either.” Byeong Hun An also acknowledged DeChambeau’s role in the player talks and said, “We know as much as everyone knows,” concerning the status of the Michigan Team Championship.

In April, the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF) pulled its future funding for the upstart league, throwing LIV staffers and players into a period of flux. To keep the league afloat, O’Neil has been pitching a “LIV 2.0” to private investors, with a new, streamlined business model.

But those efforts have not stopped the league from encountering hurdles, even amid its ongoing season. In April, O’Neil told the UK’s TNT Sports that the PIF would fund the league through the end of the season, and he assured employees the season would continue “exactly as planned, uninterrupted and at full throttle.”

Since then, however, LIV Golf postponed its New Orleans tournament with no rescheduled date announced. Mobii, which powered LIV’s “Any Shot, Any Time” streaming feature, is seeking damages after LIV abruptly pulled the contract midseason. And the Asian Tour announced last month that it’ll partner with the PGA Tour and DP World Tour. LIV had previously worked with the Asian Tour to provide playing opportunities for its players and meet requirements to receive Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points.

LIV Golf Indianapolis is still set to be played from Aug. 20 to 23 at The Club at Chatham Hills.

The league has faced deep uncertainty for its future since losing the PIF’s support, a move that also saw PIF chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan step down from the league’s board of directors. In response, LIV brought in an independent board, with two new members, Gene Davis and Jon Zinman. Davis is the CEO of a consulting firm specializing in turnaround management, with past and current clients that include Spirit Airlines and Weight Watchers.