Bryson DeChambeau given three ways to shape golfing worlds with Tyrrell Hatton stuck in The Abyss

Jan 13, 2026 - 22:15

Stranger Things are happening in the world of professional golf right now.

After trying to merge The Abyss of LIV Golf with the real world of the PGA Tour, three men now find themselves stuck in the Upside Down.

Brooks Koepka of the United States celebrates with the Wanamaker Trophy after winning the 2023 PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club on May 21, 2023 in Rochester, New York. — For those of you who haven’t seen the Stranger Things season finale, beware of spoilers below…

Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm and Cam Smith can cross between the two dimensions – but not before it’s too late and the bridge collapses.

Brooks Koepka has made the journey. The five-time major winner ripped up his LIV Golf contract, leaving tens of millions on the table in unpaid bonuses, only to land himself with arguably the biggest sporting reparation bill in history on the PGA Tour.

This unusual gate is open to those who won majors between 2022 and 2025, leaving Tyrrell Hatton among those left stranded in The Abyss.

With Rahm in a delicate contractual situation and Smith not the top priority, DeChambeau surely holds all the cards in this fight between the golfing worlds.

It must be decided by February 2 – when the gate will be destroyed and one world faces extinction.

On a scale of one to ten, the tension is Eleven.

Does this mean Koepka is Max? Anyway… DeChambeau has three choices: return to the real world, stay in The Abyss, or vanish entirely with the Upside Down.

Return to the real world

DeChambeau’s biggest decision is this: do you literally just want all of the money, or do you want to battle Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler for legacy?

Because returning to the PGA Tour comes with a price.

Koepka was forced to forego $80million in potential earnings from the PGA Tour’s Player Equity Programme and make a $5m donation to charity.

Bryson DeChambeau shakes hands with Rory McIlroy — Fans want to see DeChambeau vs McIlroy all year round – not just at the majors

While LIV Golf contracts are not made public, it has been suggested that Koepka walked away from the final instalment of his signing bonus by terminating his three-year deal with 12 months left.

It is understood this figure went deep into the eight-figure category.

Having joined at a similar time, DeChambeau finds himself in the same position with his current deal set to expire in 2026: you can do it, but you must pay the consequences on both sides.

Rahm’s situation is considered more delicate. The Spaniard signed a more lucrative contract at a much later date, making it harder to break and likely throwing up legal challenges.

There is also a greater question of pride for Rahm – who would ultimately have to admit he made a foolish decision leaving under the assumption both tours would merge soon afterwards.

While DeChambeau is thought to be more frustrated with LIV’s direction these days, it is worth remembering his PGA Tour exit was particularly ugly.

Jon Rahm celebrates after helping Team Europe win the Ryder Cup — Rahm faces an uncertain future at the Ryder Cup if he continues with LIV Golf

The 32-year-old would have to confront former colleagues who he effectively sued by being one of 11 names on the infamous antitrust lawsuit against the PGA Tour when this all kicked off.

But should he cross the bridge, it would be a devastating blow for LIV Golf – and with little commercial success to this point – some would consider it the final nail in the coffin.

In other words: it might be the bit where the PGA Tour officially wins.

Stay in The Abyss

The timing of Koepka’s deal with the PGA Tour could not have been better for DeChambeau.

It gives him the ultimate leverage in his negotiations with LIV Golf over a new deal.

While the Ryder Cup star has been announced as a Team Captain for the upcoming LIV season, which begins on February 4, there is still no sign of a contract extension.

Tyrrell Hatton at the HSBC Championship — Where does this leave Hatton?

With those talks thought to be ongoing, this situation gives DeChambeau a mandate to ask for whatever number he wants. He holds all the cards.

Spare a thought for Hatton, though, who has landed himself with the worst hand.

With no major titles, the Englishman faces the possibility of being stuck on a dying circuit without access to Official World Golf Ranking points, which would put his competitive future at the majors and the Ryder Cup in serious jeopardy.

That is despite undoubtedly being one of the best ten players in the world on his day.

Vanish entirely

DeChambeau has a third option: quit LIV Golf, snub the PGA Tour, and do it all on his own.

This is a man with 2.57m subscribers on YouTube.

Bryson DeChambeau in a video shared on his YouTube channel — DeChambeau has built his own audience by turning himself into an internet sensation

Part of the reason why he joined LIV Golf in the first place was their willingness to let him create his own content, in stark contrast to the PGA Tour’s strict media rules.

There are rumours that LIV Golf have a stake in his growing online empire, which could throw a potential spanner in the works.

But in a recent interview with Flushing It, DeChambeau hinted that he could belong to neither tour and still be successful.

“It’s where I want to be [on LIV], but ultimately, it’s got to make sense for everybody. Because I could just do YouTube golf and be totally fine as well,” DeChambeau said.

Imagine that? There is a genuinely real world where DeChambeau uses his exemptions to turn up at the majors, and just plays golf on YouTube for the rest of the year, no doubt raking it in.

That would shape the future of the professional golf landscape perhaps in an even bigger way than picking a side.

Welcome to 2026 everyone.