Speaking to ESPN on Thursday, Rocket Mortgage spokesperson, Aaron Emerson, confirmed that the company had split with Bryson DeChambeau, citing the eight-time PGA Tour winner's plan to reportedly play in the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series.
"Rocket Mortgage has been a long-time supporter of the PGA Tour, both through our role as an official partner and as a tournament host," Emerson said in a statement. "The Rocket Mortgage Classic has quickly become a fixture on the Tour, with players coming to Detroit to compete, while also raising crucial funds to help bridge the digital divide in our city.
"Our partnership with the PGA Tour extends to several prominent golfers, including Bryson DeChambeau, as ambassadors of the Rocket Mortgage brand. As has been widely reported, Bryson elected to join the LIV Golf Series. Effective immediately, Rocket Mortgage has ended its sponsorship agreement with Bryson. We wish him well in his future success."
DeChambeau secured the 2020 Rocket Mortgage Classic by three shots
Although DeChambeau hasn't appeared at the first LIV Golf Invitational Series event at The Centurion Club, he is reportedly set to appear at its next tournament, which will take place at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club in Portland, Oregon, from the 30th June - 2nd July.
This is despite the PGA Tour announcing that all players who are teeing it up in the LIV Golf Invitational Series and those who play in future events will be indefinitely suspended.
In a strongly worded letter from commissioner Jay Monahan, the Tour says that LIV Golf players are "suspended or otherwise no longer eligible to participate" in PGA Tour events. They will be removed from the FedEx Cup rankings following this week's RBC Canadian Open and will not be eligible for the FedEx Cup or Presidents Cup.
Both DeChambeau and Patrick Reed have been reportedly linked to the next LIV Golf Series event
After returning from the Covid-19 lockdown, DeChambeau claimed the 2020 Rocket Mortgage Classic, with the American becoming a brand ambassador with the company in 2021. Now though, just a year after the move, he has been dropped, with it unclear as to whether any of his other sponsors will follow.
DeChambeau isn't the only player to lose sponsorship. Before a golf ball was even hit, Louis Oosthuizen and Lee Westwood saw their longtime sponsor, UPS, drop them amid LIV Golf links.
Not long after, Dustin Johnson and Graeme McDowell were also dropped by RBC, with the duo deciding to tee it up at the first event at The Centurion Club instead of the RBC Canadian Open.
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