"I Think The Deal Is Going To Come Quicker Than You Think' - Bryson DeChambeau Says Agreement Is Coming 'In A Month Or So'
Bryson DeChambeau says that a final agreement between the Saudi PIF and PGA Tour will be done "in about a month or so"
LIV golfer Bryson DeChambeau believes a new deal in golf will be done in no more than "a month or so" saying there is "no way around it now" after protracted talks between the PGA Tour and Saudi PIF.
The initial deadline of 31 December passed but now the talk is that the two parties hope to agree upon a final deal before The Masters in April.
Considering how quiet Jay Monahan and Yasir Al-Rumayyan kept their initial deal, when they appeared on TV to shake hands to everyone's surprise, it's unlikely that too many people are in the know about the finer details.
It's mainly just suggestion at the moment, but DeChambeau is never one to shy away from having an opinion, and the American believes a deal is coming soon.
"I think the deal is going to come quicker than you think," Sports Illustrated quoted DeChambeau as saying during a conference call.
"It might not be the next couple of weeks. Maybe a month or so. But it’s going to happen. There’s no way around it now. This is about the good of the game for the fans. The health of the game for the fans.
"As time goes on, we’re starting to see these fans are hungry for us all to come back together. I can’t wait for that day to happen."
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There still seems plenty of work to do to settle on an agreement, with the PGA Tour still even being in talks with private equity company Strategic Sports Group about also being a possible investor.
And while the money is one side, getting players to all be playing in the big events remains one of the biggest hurdles to clear.
Talk is starting to build up though, with Nathan Hubbard, a golf podcaster and brother of PGA Tour pro Mark saying he thinks a deal is even more imminent, within the next week even.
Golf media would do well to start watching for white smoke over Ponte Vedra; they’re around the clock now, and a deal sounds imminent. Suspect we’ll have news within the week ⛳️ 👀January 25, 2024
DeChambeau is preparing for the LIV Golf opener in Mexico next week, before the tour heads to Las Vegas to play an event the same week as the NFL Super Bowl will be held in the city.
The LIV Golf tournament will not clash with the big game, being played Thursday to Saturday, as they look to add to the excitement of the week.
"I think it’s us trying to create a spectacle for the United States to see," DeChambeau added. "I can’t wait to see the response that week from football fans and Las Vegas fans in that environment."
Paul Higham is a sports journalist with over 20 years of experience in covering most major sporting events for both Sky Sports and BBC Sport. He is currently freelance and covers the golf majors on the BBC Sport website. Highlights over the years include covering that epic Monday finish in the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor and watching Rory McIlroy produce one of the most dominant Major wins at the 2011 US Open at Congressional. He also writes betting previews and still feels strangely proud of backing Danny Willett when he won the Masters in 2016 - Willett also praised his putting stroke during a media event before the Open at Hoylake. Favourite interviews he's conducted have been with McIlroy, Paul McGinley, Thomas Bjorn, Rickie Fowler and the enigma that is Victor Dubuisson. A big fan of watching any golf from any tour, sadly he spends more time writing about golf than playing these days with two young children, and as a big fair weather golfer claims playing in shorts is worth at least five shots. Being from Liverpool he loves the likes of Hoylake, Birkdale and the stretch of tracks along England's Golf Coast, but would say his favourite courses played are Kingsbarns and Portrush.
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