Bryson DeChambeau announces new $100,000 golf competition with major twist

Bryson DeChambeau has delivered on his promise to reveal an announcement, unveiling a new 10-day golf competition featuring a huge $100,000 prize.

The LIV Golf star made the announcement at 6pm CT on Monday 21 September, revealing ‘Bryson’s Backyard Games’, a new competition that will see 10 golfers battle it out at DeChambeau’s home for the chance to take him on.

DeChambeau, 33, unveiled the project in a video shared across his social media channels.

“Welcome to Backyard Games,” DeChambeau began. “Over the next 10 days, these 10 golfers will be competing in my backyard for the chance to play me for this $100,000.”

The format promises plenty of entertainment, with the contestants set to compete in one-hole matches across a series of unusual holes constructed around DeChambeau’s backyard.

“These players will be playing one-hole matches from a ton of crazy holes, all over my backyard until there’s only one player standing,” DeChambeau explained.

“The last player standing will play me in a three-hole match for $100,000.”

However, there is a major twist to the prize.

The last player standing does not automatically win the $100,000. 

They must first beat DeChambeau in the three-hole final to claim the money.

And if DeChambeau wins?

The $100,000 cash prize will instead be given away to one lucky follower.

“If I win, then I’ll be giving it all away to one of my followers, so make sure to follow,” DeChambeau said.

That means the final could have significant consequences not only for the contestant facing DeChambeau, but also for his social-media following.

Watch DeChambeau's announcement here:

Who is competing in Bryson DeChambeau’s Backyard Games?

DeChambeau has assembled an eclectic 10-player field featuring some familiar names from the world of golf content alongside players looking to make their mark.

YouTube golf sensation Grant Horvat unsurprisingly admitted that DeChambeau was the one player he feared most in the competition. 

“Yeah, I’m scared of Bryson. I’m very scared if I make it on, Bryson is the guy that really worries me,” he said.

Brad Dalke, meanwhile, believes he has the game to go all the way.

“I have a tendency to win a lot of these content events,” Dalke said. “If I was able to make it to the final day against Bryson, it would be tough because he’s played these holes a lot more than I have but I think I can take him down.”

Chance Taylor revealed that he only found out he would be competing around 48 hours before the event.

“Did I think I was going to be at Bryson’s Backyard Games? No,” he said. “I figured out about 48 hours ago that I was going to be here.”

There is also a built-in sibling rivalry, with brothers Wesley and George Bryan both included in the field.

Former PGA Tour pro Wesley claimed: “I’ve been doing golf content creation for the last 15 years and I’m better at golf than my brother George Bryan.”

George, unsurprisingly, has his own ambitions.

“If I was to eliminate Wesley it would literally make my year,” he said. “I hope it comes down to a 1 vs 1, me vs Wesley at some point.”

Rhett Anderson took a rather different approach to the competition, saying: “I’m just a random guy, don’t know what I’m doing here. I don’t give a s*** about YouTube Golf. I don’t care about YouTube Golfers. I’m just here to win $100,000.”

Arlynn Spence and Sara Winter will provide representation for the female golf-content community.

“I’m with the Golf Girl Games. I just joined and I’m kind of new to this whole space,” Spence said. “I’m a little bit of a rookie but I’m so excited to be here.”

Winter added: “I’m just here to represent the girls. You’ve got to have one girl in the mix. There’s two of us and hopefully I make them proud.”

Former world long drive champion Martin Borgmeier believes the unpredictable format could suit him.

“Honestly, all I gotta do is get lucky,” he said. “There’s no strategy involved, no nothing, no finesse actually, but one good shot could happen at any time.”

And then there is Chazzy Bowker, who is the No.1 short-stature golfer in America.

“If you want good hands, watch me, because I’ve got hands of a lover,” Bowker said.

When does Bryson’s Backyard Games start?

The competition gets underway immediately on Tuesday 22 September, with the opening match set to determine the first player eliminated.

DeChambeau revealed that two contestants will be randomly selected to compete in the first one-hole match.

“Tomorrow, two of these players will be randomly selected to compete in a one-hole match,” DeChambeau said.

“If you lose, you get sent home.

“If you win, you move on to the next round.”

The same elimination format will continue until only one player remains.

That player will then earn the ultimate opportunity: three holes against DeChambeau himself with $100,000 on the line.

But there is a catch.

Beat DeChambeau and the finalist wins the $100,000.

Lose to DeChambeau and the $100,000 goes to one lucky DeChambeau follower instead.

It gives the Backyard Games a simple but potentially dramatic conclusion, with DeChambeau effectively playing for the chance to hand the money to one of his followers.

With the competition taking place around DeChambeau’s own home and featuring a mixture of established golf-content personalities and less familiar names, the format looks set to offer plenty of twists before the final three-hole showdown.

Now the countdown is on to find out which of the 10 contestants can survive Bryson's Backyard Games and earn the chance to take on the LIV Golf superstar.

If you’re following DeChambeau on social media, you might just find yourself cheering him on in the final — because if he wins, you could be in with a chance of landing the $100,000 prize.