Hitting off the tee on the first hole at Trump National Bedminster, Bryson DeChambeau watched as his ball landed in the rough off to the right of the fairway. As he lined up his second shot on the hole, behind him a crowd swelled to get a glimpse of the LIV Golf star.
While the third day of LIV Golf New York saw an increased crowd make the trip to the New Jersey course, it was clear who the main attractions were on Saturday.
“I think you could see it in the crowds that are following him,” Christian Pellegrino told The Post after DeChambeau had walked off the green on the fourth hole. “It’s pretty incredible everywhere he goes there’s a big crowd. … I think he’s a pretty big draw.”
LIV Golf boasts several big names among its rosters, which include DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, Cam Smith and Dustin Johnson, but the crowds seem to flock to DeChambeau and Rahm. Golf fan Kristian Johnson told The Post the two were the “big names that I’d love to come out and see.”
DeChambeau and Rahm both hold four major titles between them, which include Rahm’s 2023 Masters victory and DeChambeau’s pair of U.S. Open wins. DeChambeau has also built up a massive following on YouTube, which has drawn new and younger fans to the sport of golf.
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.
