Bridgestone ends ties with Bryson amid LIV move

Bryson DeChambeau and golf ball manufacturer Bridgestone have agreed to end their sponsorship relationship, the company confirmed to ESPN.

The news was first reported by Golf.com, and comes after DeChambeau decided to join the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series tour.

“The PGA Tour is an extremely important part of professional golf, and Bridgestone has a sports marketing relationship with this highly visible series of tournaments,” A company statement said. “In considering that Bryson DeChambeau will no longer be participating in these events, Bridgestone and Bryson have agreed to end their brand ambassador partnership.”

DeChambeau had used a Bridgestone golf ball and was featured prominently in the company’s marketing along with Tiger Woods and Fred Couples. This is not the first sponsorship DeChambeau has lost due to his departure from the PGA Tour as Rocket Mortgage also rescinded its agreement.

PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan made it clear to any players who leave to join LIV Golf that they would face suspension from the tour, and DeChambeau has now participated in one event, which took place from June 30 to July 2 in Portland, Oregon.

DeChambeau recently appeared on a podcast called “Country Club Adjacent” and confirmed that he has signed a 4½-year contract with LIV Golf. When the hosts hinted that his deal was worth $125 million, he said that figure was a little low.

“I’m not going to say the details; I mean, for what’s reported, it’s somewhat close,” DeChambeau said on the podcast. “It’s a 4½-year deal, I can definitely tell you that, and a lot of it was upfront, which is great.”