Rich Beem Says PGA Tour Does Not Need Bryson DeChambeau Back

Rich Beem, the 2002 PGA Championship winner and Sky Sports Golf analyst, said the PGA Tour does not need Bryson DeChambeau to return.

Beem made the comment ahead of this week's PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club, where DeChambeau ranks among the favorites. On the Sky Sports Golf Podcast, Beem answered a question about whether the tour should welcome back the two-time major champion.

"No, they don’t. Again, he’s not bigger than the game," Beem said.

He called DeChambeau entertaining on the course with his club skills but said his off-course comments can be just as captivating. "I mean, as entertaining as he is on the golf course with what he can do with clubs, I think what comes out of his mouth can be just as entertaining," Beem said. "It’s like—you’re a self-proclaimed scientist, but man, you’re not a politician. Well, maybe you are, because politicians seem to do the same thing all the time."

Beem added that if Jack Nicklaus or Arnold Palmer had left in their prime, golf would have continued without them. "Here’s why I say the PGA Tour doesn’t need him: nobody’s bigger than the game," he said. "Listen, if Jack Nicklaus or Arnold Palmer had walked away in their prime, the game would have gone on without them."

The remarks come as LIV Golf faces uncertainty after 2026. The Saudi Public Investment Fund plans to end its funding at the close of the current season. LIV Golf CEO recently teased announcements in the next 10 days and discussed DeChambeau's future with the league.

Beem noted DeChambeau's habit of repeating phrases like "grow the game" while sometimes contradicting himself. Earlier this month, DeChambeau said egos on both the PGA Tour and LIV would need to drop for professional golf to reunite.

DeChambeau has said he would be content stepping back from full-time play to focus on his YouTube channel and compete only in majors. Beem suggested that suits him best.

"I think what he’s doing with YouTube might actually be right up his alley," Beem said. "That seems to be where he’s most comfortable, because he gets to control the narrative. He controls what’s put out there, what he says, and how he says it — because they can edit it, shape it, do all of that. That’s very different from being in front of a live audience."