The future of the Saudi-backed breakaway remains in doubt after the country’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) announced plans to withdraw financing at the end of the year, having spent more than $7.5 billion since 2022.
As a two-time major champion, DeChambeau has an exemption to play in golf’s four premier events for at least another two years, but he does not have anywhere else to play outside of LIV.
However, DeChambeau has already considered his options should LIV not bring in the necessary funding to continue.
“(If) we don’t find a solution, for me, I think, it’s really enticing, depending on what everybody says on the (PGA) Tour and what they’re going to strike me with as a penalty, which is quite unfortunate in my opinion, considering what I could do for them,” he said at the LIV Golf Virginia event at Trump National Golf Club.
“From my perspective, I’d love to grow my YouTube channel three times, maybe even more.
“I’d love to do a bunch of dubbing in different languages, giving the world more reason to watch YouTube. And then I’d love to play tournaments that want me.”
Asked whether he was concerned about whether LIV would pay up his contract, which expires next year, the American added: “Your guess is as good as mine.
“I was completely shocked (by PIF’s withdrawal). I didn’t expect it to happen. A couple of months before that, it’s like, ‘We’re here until 2032. We’ve got financing until 2032, and so I told everybody.
“And then I haven’t had any communication, and unfortunately, things are moving on in a different direction. Obviously, they wanted to move on.”
DeChambeau and his representatives have held talks with the PGA Tour at a broader level regarding the state of world golf.
“Look, the (PGA Tour) isn’t doing great either. Let’s be honest about the situation,” he said.
“They’ve got the media. They’ve got everybody on the side that helps pump it up but they’re reducing field sizes, cutting employees and restructuring their business too.”
Former US Open champion Graeme McDowell, meanwhile, admits he regrets not being honest about his reasons for joining LIV after losing most of his playing privileges in the US.
“I regret a few things I said in the beginning, stuff like ‘growing the game, he told SI.com.
“I was ready to jump ship and go get a real job. I should have just said it for what it was – ‘this is good for my bank account and I’m getting a runway to play the game of golf for as long as I possibly can’.”
On his hopes for the future, McDowell added, “I don’t think we could have ever imagined how deep this would go. The hatred.
“It’s funny, but if we can shift the narrative away from Saudi Arabia and bring some US money and get rid of that narrative … because that narrative is just nasty.”