NORTH PLAINS, Ore. — Bryson DeChambeau has heard and seen the criticism he and his fellow competitors have faced for joining the controversial LIV Golf Invitational Series that’s backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. He even said he respects those comments.
But after his press conference Tuesday ahead of the LIV Golf Portland event at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club, he’s done talking about it.
“I understand people’s decisions on their comments and whatnot. But as it relates to me, I have personally made that in my own — as my own decision, and I won’t say any more on that. There’s no need. We’re golfers at the end of the day, and I think that I respect everybody’s opinion,” said DeChambeau. “That’s the most important thing people can hopefully understand out of me is I do respect it, but golf is a force for good, and I think as time goes on, hopefully, people will see the good that they are doing and what they are trying to accomplish rather than looking at the bad that’s happened before.
“I think moving on from that is important, and going and continuing to move forward in a positive light is something that could be a force for good for the future of the game.”
DeChambeau ended the press conference alongside fellow LIV Golf debutants Matthew Wolff and Abraham Ancer by saying, “Looking forward is the most important thing we can do in regards to this game of golf.”
In other words, DeChambeau wants to get back to sports and wash away the negativity surrounding the upstart circuit led by Greg Norman. Yet when asked about their motivations to join LIV Golf, the sport itself was rarely mentioned. More opportunities outside of golf, whether it be business or family, were the talking points.
“One of the things for me it was a personal business decision. For me, I run and operate my golf as a business as well as wanting to be one of the better players in the world,” explained DeChambeau. “Second off, it was going to give me more resources and opportunities to reinvest in my local community, in Dallas, and back at my original home in California where I can do things for junior golf tours, improve my foundation, and also build the multi-sport complex I’m going to build here shortly in Dallas, and also give me more time to rest, the ability to have weeks off and recover my body in the way I want to so that I can be prepared to give it my all when it comes time, not be depleted every week and continuing to get depleted over the course of time.
“And then the last part is I saw that first event in London and how much fun everybody was having. That was exciting to me. And I wanted to be a part of something like that.”
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