Bryson DeChambeau seems to be on edge ahead of this week's LIV Golf season finale in Indianapolis.
LIV Golf's future beyond 2026 is a complete unknown at this point after the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) officially announced in April that it would stop funding the breakaway circuit at the conclusion of the season. LIV Indianapolis has also seen its individual purse decrease from the typical $20 million to $10.1 million.
Given those realities and the uncertainties ahead, it's understandable that DeChambeau, the face of LIV Golf, feels a bit frustrated. Taking out those frustrations on media members simply watching him hit golf balls on the driving range in Indy, however, is an interesting choice.
According to Golf.com's Sean Zak, DeChambeau arrived at the practice area at The Club at Chatham Hills, the course playing host this week, and had a message for the group of reporters on site.
"Oooh the mafia has arrived. The mafia. You guys love talking s–t," DeChambeau said.
Zak noted that DeChambeau was "mostly joking" with his remark towards the media gathered at the driving range on Tuesday, but things got even more awkward the following day.
Ryan French, the man behind the well-known Monday Q Info account on X, confirmed that he was asked to leave the driving range by a member of DeChambeau's team. Brandon Reef noted that French was doing nothing out of the ordinary, implying he was simply watching DeChambeau hit golf balls.
A few hours after French was asked to leave by a member of DeChambeau's team – and after the story gained traction across social media – French shared that he received a call from the two-time U.S. Open champion.
"Bryson gave me a call this afternoon, we spoke for about 20 mins," French wrote on Wednesday evening. "While the conversation will remain off the record, I really appreciate him calling. A lot of players wouldn't have done that."
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DeChambeau and his LIV colleagues are teeing it up for the last time in 2026 after the LIV Team Championship slated for Michigan later this month was canceled.
The 32-year-old enters the week off of a disappointing T-38 finish at LIV New York and a major championship season that saw him miss three out of four cuts.
