Joining LIV Golf was a great financial benefit (and moral difficulty) for many golfers, but the big leap came at some cost.
Bryson DeShambo, who joined LIV Golf earlier this week for $ 100 million, was publicly rejected by sponsor Rocket Mortgage on Friday, according to The Detroit News. The company cites its relationship with the PGA Tour, which runs the annual Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit, severing ties with DeChambeau.
The statement, through Detroit News:
“Rocket Mortgage has been a long-time supporter of the PGA Tour, both through our role as official partner and as host of the tournament. Rocket Mortgage Classic quickly became a permanent place on the Tour, as players came to Detroit to compete, while raising important funds to overcome the digital divide in our city. Our partnership with PGA Tour extends to several prominent golfers, including Bryson DeChambo, as ambassadors for the Rocket Mortgage brand. As was common, Bryson chose to join the LIV Series Golf. “
Bryson DeChambeau reportedly received more than $ 100 million to upgrade to LIV Golf. (AP Photo / Eric Gay)
This is not the first time a sponsor has refused golfers almost as soon as they joined the Saudi-backed tour.
Dustin Johnson, LIV Golf’s biggest winner, and Graham McDowell were expelled from the Royal Bank of Canada after joining LIV Golf. Like Rocket Mortgage, RBC is sponsoring the RBC Canadian Open on the PGA Tour, which has been competing this weekend since the opening of LIV Golf in London.
Lee Westwood lost sponsorship 14 years ago when UPS released him, and of course almost every visible sponsor ran away from Phil Mickelson when he said why he was willing to ignore human rights abuses in Saudi Arabia to raise more money from the PGA tour.
All this was quite predictable, as the companies would naturally take the side of the golf tour, with which they are actively doing business. This is another cost to doing business for players who still earn a lot more money than they will lose from sponsorship.
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