Bryson DeChambeau Faces Tension at LIV Golf Finale

Bryson DeChambeau appears to be feeling the pressure as he prepares for the LIV Golf season finale in Indianapolis. The future of LIV Golf beyond 2026 remains uncertain after the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) announced it would cease funding at the season’s end. The individual purse for LIV Indianapolis has also dropped from $20 million to $10.1 million. These factors are contributing to an understandable level of frustration for DeChambeau, who is a prominent figure in LIV Golf.

DeChambeau displayed some of his frustration at the driving range in Indianapolis where he made a remark to the media present. According to Golf.com’s Sean Zak, DeChambeau referred to the journalists as the ‘mafia’ and accused them of enjoying negative talk. Zak clarified that DeChambeau was largely joking with his comment, but the situation became more awkward the next day.

“Oooh the mafia has arrived. The mafia. You guys love talking s–t,” DeChambeau said.

During this tense atmosphere, Ryan French, known for his Monday Q Info account on X, was asked to leave the practice area by someone from DeChambeau’s team. Brandon Reef mentioned that French was not engaging in any disruptive behavior, noting he was merely observing DeChambeau’s practice swings.

Following the incident, and after gaining traction online, DeChambeau reached out to French with a phone call. French expressed gratitude for the call, even though the details of their conversation were kept confidential.

The final round of LIV Golf 2026 is happening amid DeChambeau’s recent lackluster performance. He finished T-38 at LIV New York and missed the cut in three of four major championships this season. This turbulence coincides with the cancellation of the LIV Team Championship, which was initially set for Michigan later this month.