PGA Tour winner encourages torn Bryson DeChambeau to emulate "toughest SOB in the world"

Former PGA Tour winner Smylie Kaufman has encouraged Bryson DeChambeau to chase history like his hero Ben Hogan. 

The two-time U.S. Open winner has admitted in recent weeks he is "in a weird space" as LIV Golf fights for survival beyond 2026.

Although DeChambeau is doing "everything I can" to ensure LIV's future, the 32-year-old has said he would potentially focus on YouTube and just play in the four men's majors if the embattled league fails. 

Kaufman, though, believes it would be a waste of DeChambeau's talent if he went down that route and encouraged the golfer to follow in the footsteps of Hogan if he is "serious about his ultimate legacy in the game". 

"This was a guy who was his idol, if he would have read books about Ben Hogan, he would have known that Ben Hogan was the toughest SOB in the world, and his comeback story was one of the best we've ever seen," Kaufman told the latest edition of his podcast.

"I wouldn't say the comeback story from YouTube golf to professional golf is quite the same as getting in a car accident like Ben Hogan did, but I still feel like Bryson has a lot to offer this game from the professional side. 

"I wouldn't want to see him go to the YouTube game full-time. I'd like to see him playing, if it's on the LIV tour, great, that's fine.

"I just don't want to see him go full YouTube, because I do think from an overall professional standpoint in the game of golf, he'll drop if he just wants to chase that. 

"He will not be a top player in the world if he just wants to do that. And I don't want to see that."

Kaufman said DeChambeau still has a lot to offer the game "as far as chasing history". 

"And I think he's got enough talent to be able to chase as much history as he wants to," he added. 

"It's going to require him to compete against the best players in the world. 

"You can't just go and play YouTube golf and play against these guys in major championships thinking you can win, without playing enough professional golf events.

"I think of Bryson's early days and just how his whole image was the hat, the Ben Hogan hat. 

"So you think about a guy who’s deemed the mad scientist when he was in the college game and when he got to the professional game, and how he did things differently, this one plane swing and how he was able to feel like he was figuring out the game of golf where everybody else was still trying to figure it out. 

"He legit, I think, thinks he had all the answers."

DeChambeau "optimistic" over LIV Golf's future

In April, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) announced it will withdraw its multibillion dollar backing of the LIV after the conclusion of the 2026 season. 

DeChambeau told reporters before LIV's event in Korea that he was surprised at PIF's decision to pull out so quickly as he had been given assurances the cash would flow until at least 2032. 

But he insisted that the business plan that has been developed and is currently being pitched to investors is a good one. 

"I'm very optimistic with the business plan of team golf compared to other models, in my opinion," he said. 

"But again, other models have worked, as well, so I'm not going to say that one is better than the other, but I do see value in what team golf can provide not only worldwide but also in grass rooting the game of golf.

"National support, team national support, city local support, we grass root ourselves there. There's a couple ideas that we have -- quite a few ideas that we have that could be interesting. We'll see if investors like it or not. I'm giving all I can to make it happen, and if it doesn't, it doesn't happen."

Asked how he is dealing with the uncertainty over LIV's future, DeChambeau admitted that it has added extra pressure in the majors. 

He missed the cut at the Masters and PGA Championship. 

"In the background, yeah, we're trying to help where we can, but ultimately it's up to executives and everybody banding together. If we all band together, there's an opportunity here. If not, it's going to be a different day for all of us."