Rory McIlroy Says Bryson DeChambeau Brings Eyeballs, but Few Options Remain After LIV

Bryson DeChambeau has two U.S. Open trophies, more than 3 million YouTube subscribers and one of the most recognizable swings on earth. What he does not have, with LIV Golf liquidating, is a clear place to play in 2027. Rory McIlroy noticed.

Speaking Tuesday ahead of the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, McIlroy said DeChambeau would be a draw if he joins the European circuit, but he did not pretend the move would be a free choice. "I think a name like Bryson DeChambeau and everything he brings with him, good and bad, he brings eyeballs," McIlroy said, per the Associated Press (opens in a new tab). "If he wants to play competitive golf, it doesn't seem like he's got many options."

A Shrinking Map

That last line is the story. LIV's parent filed its Chapter 11 wind-down plan in New Jersey on Tuesday, the AP reported, which leaves DeChambeau without the league that has been his home since 2022.

The PGA TOUR is not an easy fallback. The TOUR has suspended other golfers for a year after their final LIV start, and it is not expected to address the status of former LIV players until the bankruptcy is finalized in early January, ESPN's Mark Schlabach reported (opens in a new tab). DeChambeau's ban could also run longer because of other disciplinary factors, including his role in the antitrust lawsuit LIV players filed against the TOUR, per the AP.

He also already passed on the easier road. DeChambeau turned down a spot in the PGA TOUR's program for returning members in January, the same path Brooks Koepka used to come back, ESPN reported. PGA TOUR CEO Brian Rolapp has since said that offer was a one-time deal, per Golf Channel (opens in a new tab).

Europe Is Open

The DP World Tour, on the other hand, has left the door wide open. DeChambeau qualifies for membership off his 2024 U.S. Open win at Pinehurst No. 2, according to the AP. The Telegraph reported that his team was told he would have full playing privileges in 2027 if he applies, per Golf Channel.

The clock is short. The AP reported DeChambeau has until Sunday to tell the tour whether he wants membership, and ESPN listed Nov. 16 as the DP World Tour's player commitment deadline for 2027. He is already set to play the Nedbank Golf Challenge in Sun City, South Africa, in early December, an event the European tour co-sanctions.

There is a precedent for what Europe can offer. Patrick Reed left LIV in January, returned to PGA TOUR competition in August and sits third in the DP World Tour's season-long points race, ESPN reported. The top 10 in that race earn PGA TOUR cards for 2027. Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton have also committed to play in Europe next year, and Rahm has already won in Abu Dhabi in his first start since leaving LIV.

McIlroy, Measured

McIlroy's tone mattered here. He has been one of the PGA TOUR's loudest voices through the LIV years, and in July at Royal Birkdale he said of DeChambeau, "I think a lot of it is performative," per the AP. On Tuesday, the edge was mostly gone.

"And honestly, look, I'm certainly not in his shoes, and nor would I ever want to be," McIlroy said, per the AP.

That is about as close to sympathy as the rivalry gets. These two have history: DeChambeau beat McIlroy by one shot at Pinehurst in 2024, and DeChambeau was in the final group when McIlroy won the 2025 Masters. If both are on the DP World Tour in 2027, the tour gets a rivalry it could sell anywhere.

DeChambeau's Turn

DeChambeau has not formally announced his plans. In a statement on social media Sunday, he sounded like someone bracing for a humbling stretch. "I've said some things that didn't help," DeChambeau wrote, per the AP. "Whatever comes next, I'll approach it with humility and respect for the people who carried this game long before me."

He has also floated focusing on YouTube and playing only the four majors, though it is unclear how serious that idea is, the AP reported. His 2026 major season gives him reasons to want more reps: he missed the cut in three straight majors before contending at Royal Birkdale, where a two-shot penalty and a lost ball leading to a triple bogey ended his chances, per the AP.

The Bottom Line

This is the strange spot LIV's collapse has left its biggest star in. DeChambeau is still one of the sport's best ratings draws, and McIlroy just said so out loud. But eyeballs need a stage, and right now the only one guaranteed to take him is in Europe.

If DeChambeau signs up by the deadline, the DP World Tour adds the biggest American personality it has had in years. If he does not, 2027 could be four majors, a camera crew and a lot of waiting on the PGA TOUR. Either way, the choice is his to make, and he has days, not weeks, to make it.

Sources: the Associated Press, ESPN, Golf Channel. More golf coverage on Undrafted.

Photo: PGA TOUR. Bryson DeChambeau after winning the 2024 U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2.