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Wayne Riley has insisted that Bryson DeChambeau has to change his attitude if he ever wants to be accepted back onto the PGA Tour following a dramatic week for the LIV Golf star at The Open Championship.
Ryan Fox’s victory at Royal Birkdale was a universally popular conclusion to a brilliant championship. However, the week is likely to be best remembered for the antics of DeChambeau.
DeChambeau was the main character at the final major of the year. In fairness, that was not entirely his fault, with Sir Nick Faldo criticising him before the tournament had even begun.
Faldo claimed that DeChambeau had no idea how to play links golf. DeChambeau, of course, responded by praising his own strategy after an impressive first round in Southport.
Bryson DeChambeau issued with a warning in case he ever wants to return to the PGA Tour
But most of the drama came on Friday evening, with the R&A officials deciding that DeChambeau should face a two-shot penalty after unintentionally improving the lie around his ball while in the thick rough on the fifth hole.
DeChambeau threatened to not even play over the weekend. And according to the Daily Mail, the 32-year-old did threaten to make a call to President Trump to try and get the decision overturned.
All we know is that the R&A did not receive a call from Trump.
Unsurprisingly, the two-time US Open champion came in for criticism for his behaviour, with Rory McIlroy among those to hit out at DeChambeau.
DeChambeau’s future will become a little clearer in the coming months. LIV Golf is fighting to save itself, and their biggest star is out of contract at the end of the current season.
A return to the PGA Tour cannot be ruled out. But speaking on the Sky Sports Golf Podcast, Wayne Riley issued DeChambeau with a warning.
“He is coming back to the PGA Tour, or he wants to come back. Well, it’s not a good idea to do that, when he wants to come back,” he said.
“He says ‘well I’ll just do my YouTube stuff’. Bryson, if you want to do your YouTube stuff go and do it. The PGA Tour has not missed you one bit. Not one bit, and you want to do that. Well, good on you.
“His last win at the US Open at Pinehurst, what are we talking three years ago? He has two years left of his exemption in the majors.
“It’s a big thing that five years and if LIV does continue to go forward, at whatever size it is, play there.
“But if you want to come back, you have to change. Bryson has always been so very nice to me, he’s a nice man. Whether it’s all just a show or his persona, I don’t know.
“But if you want to come back and play you have to change your ways just a little.”
The character is more valuable to the PGA Tour than the golfer when it comes to Bryson DeChambeau
Whether you like him or not, DeChambeau is undoubtedly a fascinating character. He has flipped between the hero and villain on several occasions during his career, and he is rarely out of the limelight.
So the PGA Tour would certainly gain plenty from DeChambeau coming back. With that, you do have to wonder just how aware he was of the furore he was creating on Friday at Royal Birkdale.
DeChambeau missed the cut at the first three majors of the season. His stock had not been lower for some time.
And yet, with one incident at The Open, he reminded everyone of just how entertaining he is.
DeChambeau knows how to make content that everyone talks about. So when it became apparent that a controversy was brewing, he would have surely known what buttons to press to make sure that he had everyone eating out of the palm of his hand.
DeChambeau as a golfer would be a welcome addition to the PGA Tour. But it is DeChambeau as a character that would bring the real fireworks.
