Ever since Bryson DeChambeau missed the cut at The Masters, he has kept the golf media at arm’s length. He avoided reporters at the majors and even went as far as creating his own interview at The Open. But at LIV Golf Indianapolis, the frustration finally boiled over.
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DeChambeau was at Chatham Hills working on his swing while a nearby reporter filmed his practice session. Then, rather unexpectedly, a member of DeChambeau’s team walked over to the reporter and asked him to leave!
The reporter was Ryan French of Monday Q Info. Ball State alum Brandon Reef first revealed the incident on X and identified French as the media member involved. French then confirmed it himself, reposting Reef’s post with a tongue-in-cheek message.
“Got booted off the range by Bryson today. #1,892 on the list of what the hell has happened to my life.”
As Reef’s post claims, it was Bryson DeChambeau’s team member who kicked out French. The post didn’t confirm whether the Crushers GC captain ordered it or the team member acted independently. Nevertheless, it was strange because the media member was doing nothing out of the ordinary. Now, however, the story took an unexpected turn after the incident.
Turns out that DeChambeau called French himself. The two spoke for roughly 20 minutes, although French said their conversation would be off the record.
“Bryson gave me a call this afternoon, we spoke for about 20 mins. While the conversation will remain off the record, I really appreciate him calling. A lot of players wouldn’t have done that,” French wrote.
Meanwhile, this tension had been building long before French was asked to leave the range. GOLF.com’s senior writer Sean Zak earlier reported that the American professional saw a group of three reporters, including Zak, near the driving range. The reaction then was immediate.
“Oooh the mafia has arrived. The mafia. You guys love talking s–t,” Bryson DeChambeau said.
Zak characterized it as a joke. However, he did say that the 32-year-old pro remained frustrated about how the media used his comments. His loud reaction clearly shows his strained relationship with the media. This has moreover been an ongoing feud for years.
In 2020, he confronted a cameraman over concerns about protecting his brand. Then came his infamous feud with Brooks Koepka, with the two eventually putting their differences aside and joining LIV Golf together. In 2024, DeChambeau’s agent was involved in a confrontation with Golf Channel’s Damon Hack in the U.S. Open. So the distance was always there, but this year it has become more obvious. Plus, you can’t help but notice a pattern here.
Ever since he built a huge following on YouTube, he has tried to avoid the media. He can now communicate with fans how and when he wants, without the traditional media. The same was on display when he avoided media duties on all four days during The Open Championship.
Now, in golf’s history, there have been many incidents where media professionals or other patrons have been escorted off the course for violating rules. For instance, during the 2026 Masters, officials reportedly asked former British Open champion Mark Calcavecchia to leave Augusta National for using a mobile phone. Similarly, in 2015, Stephanie Wei lost her media credentials for the entire season after she used Periscope to livestream golfers during a practice round at WGC-Cadillac Match Play.
Nevertheless, this episode with French came to light during a highly sensitive week for the American professional and LIV Golf. Since LIV Golf officially canceled the Michigan event, LIV Golf Indianapolis is now the season finale. LIV Golf also reduced the individual purse to $10.1 million, which is nearly half the standard $20 million. This affected the winner’s payout—from $4 million to $2.02 million.
With 944.54 points, Jon Rahm will probably win the individual championship. This leaves strong competition for the remaining podium finishes. DeChambeau is currently second with 726.20, Joaquin Niemann third with 553.66, Lucas Herbert fourth with 541.41, and Tyrrell Hatton fifth with 453.23.
The incident at LIV Golf Indianapolis adds another chapter to DeChambeau’s increasingly strained relationship with the media. While it remains unclear whether the decision came directly from DeChambeau or a member of his team, the episode has once again raised questions about how the LIV star handles media access.