As Bryson DeChambeau teed off on the first hole at Trump National Bedminster, his ball veered off into the rough on the right of the fairway. Positioning himself for his next shot, the golf sensation was accompanied by an eager crowd, all vying for a chance to witness the star from LIV Golf in action.
The scene on the third day of LIV Golf New York was a testament to the increasing draw of this event. Held at the picturesque New Jersey course, Saturday’s turnout left no doubt about the main attractions of the day.
“Just look at the crowds trailing him,” remarked Christian Pellegrino to The Post after watching DeChambeau finish up on the fourth hole. “It’s truly remarkable — anywhere he goes, a throng of fans follows. He’s definitely a major draw.”
LIV Golf flaunts a lineup brimming with golf titans, featuring names such as DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, Cam Smith, and Dustin Johnson. Yet, it’s DeChambeau and Rahm who attract the lion’s share of spectators. Golf enthusiast Kristian Johnson expressed to The Post that they were the “marquee names” fans eagerly anticipated.
Between them, DeChambeau and Rahm boast an impressive tally of four major titles, with highlights including Rahm’s 2023 Masters triumph and DeChambeau’s dual U.S. Open victories. DeChambeau has also leveraged his YouTube popularity to garner a fresh, youthful audience, thus further expanding golf’s reach.
Rahm and DeChambeau are also sitting first and second, respectively, on the LIV Golf player standings, which fan Tate Stevens chalked up to being part of the draw as well.
“Bryson has a big [presence] on YouTube right now, and I think a lot of his fans come here and watch him at LIV. I think Jon, he’s a good guy, plays good and I think that’s why they like him,” Stevens added.
The two also play a major hand in the future of LIV Golf, which remains somewhat uncertain, despite this week’s announcement that the tour CEO Scott O’Neil had secured investments to keep the rebel golf league going past 2026.
The Saudi Public Investment Fund’s decision to pull its financial backing earlier this year threw the future of LIV into flux.
DeChambeau exclusively told The Post earlier this week that he was “100 percent” sure of LIV’s future following the news of the investment, while also saying, “I’d love to be able to play events on the PGA Tour, too.”
Rahm has a contract with LIV beyond this year, but he has remained tight-lipped about his commitment going forward.
While golf fans at LIV New York told The Post during this week’s event that they weren’t too worried about the off-the-course drama surrounding the league’s funding, the topic has been the talk of the golf world since April.
Following his round Saturday, Harold Varner III gave a staunch defense of LIV’s impact on the golf space.
“I think it’s one of the greatest things that’s ever happened to me,” Varner said. “I would hope everyone would take it as an opportunity and not worry about all the negative stuff. I think we’re getting really good at worrying about what could go wrong or this or that and not appreciating the good stuff that we did have or what we do have right in front of us.
“At the end of the day, no one is going to die. It’s golf. There’s people dealing with way more important things in life that I think are way more important. So with all that stuff you’re talking about, I think it’s important when you’re writing, but it’s not important to what I do every day and what I love to do, and that’s go try to shoot as low as I can every day.”
President Donald Trump made a brief appearance at Saturday’s third round when he drove between the 16th tee box and 15th green in a golf cart as he was making his way back to the clubhouse.
Trump had flown into New Jersey on Friday night and arrived at Bedminster at 5:56 p.m.