Bryson DeChambeau missed out on a place on Team USA for the Paris Olympics and could face the same fate at the 2028 LA Games
Golf star Bryson De Chambeau could be forced to miss out on another Olympic Games after watching his compatriot Scottie Scheffler clinch the gold medal in Paris.
Despite dramatically winning the US Open in June, it was not enough to secure DeChambeau a slot on Team USA. The Olympic event was comprised of 60 players, with a maximum of four players in the world’s top 15 per country.
DeChambeau’s decision to leave the PGA and join the breakaway LIV Golf in 2022 affected his Olympic aspirations as LIV Golf events do not qualify for world ranking points, which led some LIV players to compete at an Asian Tour event last week. DeChambeau was sixth in contention for the USA, while seven LIV Golf stars did make the cut for their respective nations.
It would have been a bitter pill for the two-time US Open champion who was denied the chance to compete at the Tokyo Games after testing positive for Covid-19. However, DeChambeau’s wait to realise his Olympic dream could continue into the 2028 Los Angeles Games unless the PGA and LIV Golf can reach a ground-breaking agreement.
There have been talks held about a potential merger between PGA and LIV, which would benefit DeChambeau’s Olympic aspirations. An announcement was made about the two sides agreeing on a framework last year but the initial December deadline was missed. Despite being embroiled in a long-running feud, both organisations expressed optimism after a meeting in June but a possible timeline is yet to be outlined.
A joint statement said: “Representatives from the PGA TOUR Enterprises Transaction Subcommittee and the PIF have been meeting multiple times weekly to work through potential deal terms and come to a shared vision on the future of professional golf. On Friday evening, an in-person session in New York City included the entire Transaction Subcommittee and PIF Governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan and his team, where more progress was made.”
The PGA Tour has set up a sub-committee to discuss the potential merger, comprised of senior executives and leading golf stars, including Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy. Having recently dug out those LIV players who missed out on Olympic qualification, McIlroy embraced being at a tournament that did not involve eye-watering sums of prize money.
Bryson DeChambeau winning the US Open was not enough for a place on Team USA ( Image: David Cannon/Getty Images)
“I still think that the Ryder Cup is the best tournament that we have in our game, pure competition, and I think this has the potential to be right up there with it,” McIlroy said. “I think with how much of a s***show the game of golf is right now and you think about the two tournaments that might be the purest form of competition in our sport, we don’t play for money in it. It speaks volumes for what’s important in sports and what’s important.”
As for DeChambeau, the 30-year-old has admitted he is keen to compete at signature PGA events again in the future, such as the Arnold Palmer Invitational and The Memorial. However, his chances of playing in those tournaments and representing the USA in the Olympics on home soil will largely be decided in a boardroom.
“This time around, it’s disappointing but I understand the decisions I made,” DeChambeau said last month. “The way things have played out has not been perfectly according to plan.
“I’ve done my best, up until now, to give myself a chance according to the OWGR [Official World Golf Rankings]. But I realize and respect where the current situation of the game is, and albeit it’s frustrating and disappointing, hopefully, 2028 will be a little different situation.”
