Sunday’s LIV Golf finale at The Club at Chatham Hills could have marked the last time Bryson DeChambeau competed on the breakaway tour. That is, of course, if the two-time major champion opts not to extend his contract following the 2026 season. But the season finale wasn’t what thrust the 32-year-old back into the spotlight. Instead, DeChambeau is in the spotlight after calling veteran journalist Alan Shipnuck a “PGA Tour shill.”
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“Bryson DeChambeau was more succinct, calling me ‘a PGA Tour shill,’” Shipnuck wrote in a Skratch report. “When I asked if he would consent to an interview, he said, ‘Why, so you can tear us down?’ LIV assigned a staffer to shadow my every move and eavesdrop on every interview; it felt like being a political reporter being hosted by North Korea.”
Shipnuck had previously approached England’s Laurie Canter for an interview, but the LIV golfer was more diplomatic in declining the request. Still, the reluctance among some LIV players to engage with certain members of the media is hardly new. Several have grown wary of journalists they believe have been critical of the league’s funding, business model, and controversial launch.
Shipnuck, of course, was the journalist who published a bombshell investigative report detailing a long pattern of alleged misconduct by golfer Phil Mickelson spanning over a decade earlier this year. DeChambeau, however, has long maintained a complicated relationship with the media overall, not just Shipnuck.
Ahead of the LIV Golf finale, the 32-year-old took a swipe at reporters, referring to a small group near the practice area at The Club at Chatham Hills as the “mafia.” After spotting journalists, including GOLF.com senior writer Sean Zak, DeChambeau said, “Oooh, the mafia has arrived. The mafia. You guys love talking s–t.”
His strained relationship with the traditional media has been evident at major championships, too, where DeChambeau has largely avoided TV and print interviews. Instead, he has increasingly relied on platforms such as YouTube, allowing him to communicate directly with fans while limiting opportunities for unexpected questions or critical scrutiny.
DeChambeau’s latest comments came as LIV Golf wrapped up its 2026 season, with the league’s future still uncertain. CEO Scott O’Neil has confirmed that LIV has secured an unnamed lead investor to help fund the league in 2027. DeChambeau himself has urged the golf world to remain “open-minded” about LIV, saying he hopes the league gets “one more shot” to prove itself.
That support could become particularly relevant to DeChambeau’s own future. His current LIV contract expired after the 2026 season, and he is reportedly seeking a new deal worth around $500 million. According to reports from The Athletic, DeChambeau had also explored his options with representatives from other organizations during Masters week, before LIV’s latest financial uncertainty intensified.
And on the course this week, Bryson DeChambeau closed out his LIV season with a tie for third at LIV Golf Indianapolis, finishing at 16-under par after rounds of 65, 68, 67 and 64. Off it, however, his latest comments suggest that his strained relationship with the media remains firmly intact, even as LIV Golf enters an uncertain new chapter.