Bryson DeChambeau’s LIV earnings compared to PGA make for sickening reading
Bryson DeChambeau’s decision to join LIV Golf has proven highly lucrative, especially when compared to his previous earnings on the PGA Tour. DeChambeau, who initially planned to stay with the PGA, switched to LIV in the summer of 2022, signing a contract reportedly worth around £100 million. He wasn’t alone; other big names like Dustin…
Bryson DeChambeau’s decision to join LIV Golf has proven highly lucrative, especially when compared to his previous earnings on the PGA Tour.
DeChambeau, who initially planned to stay with the PGA, switched to LIV in the summer of 2022, signing a contract reportedly worth around £100 million. He wasn’t alone; other big names like Dustin Johnson, Jon Rahm, and Brooks Koepka also made the move, lured by the promise of substantial paychecks. Koepka, for instance, has already won four LIV titles, with the prize money for LIV events being significantly higher than on the PGA Tour.
In its first year, LIV Golf handed out a staggering $255 million (£197.4 million) in prize money across just eight events. This generous payout meant that all 52 golfers on the LIV roster earned at least $1 million (£777,000) in that year alone.
As LIV Golf enters its third season, recent research from National Club Golfer compared the earnings of players in LIV Golf with what they previously made on the PGA Tour. The findings reveal just how profitable the switch has been.
DeChambeau, for example, earned $34.4 million (£26.8 million) over 148 PGA Tour events, which averages out to $232,900 (£181,200) per event. In stark contrast, he has earned $28.2 million (£21.9 million) in just 32 LIV events, averaging an impressive $881,000 (£685,000) per event. This massive increase highlights the financial allure of LIV Golf.
Other players, like Jon Rahm and Brooks Koepka, have also seen substantial increases in their earnings. Rahm, for instance, has earned $13.5 million (£11.5 million) from ten LIV events, averaging $1.348 million per event, far more than the $338,023 (£262,856) per event he made across 154 PGA Tour tournaments. Koepka, meanwhile, has earned $34.1 million (£26.5 million) from just 32 LIV events, compared to $43.4 million (£33.7 million) from his PGA Tour career.
DeChambeau has spoken about how the switch to LIV Golf has positively impacted his life, allowing him the time to recover from injuries and focus on improving his game. He shared that the move gave him the chance to connect with other players who faced similar challenges and criticism. Over time, public perception has begun to shift, especially in light of the “framework agreement” with the PGA Tour, with more people beginning to understand and appreciate what LIV Golf is trying to achieve.
In DeChambeau’s words, “We have come a long way and we continue to move progressively in small incremental amounts. It’s just going to domino at some point.” The financial rewards of LIV Golf, combined with the opportunities for personal and professional growth, suggest that his decision to join the tour was indeed the right one.
