LIV Golfers Are Struggling to Keep Sponsors

Ever since the beginning of the LIV-exodus, many golfers have lost or forfeited sponsorships. RBC cut ties with Dustin Johnson and Graeme McDowell, Amstel, KPMG, and Workday all separated themselves from Phil Mickelson, and UPS dropped Lee Westwood, despite more than 10 years together.

The wild part is, however, that the dust still hasn’t settled for the LIV defectors.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by LIV Golf (@livgolf_league)

2020 U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau has, apparently, cut ties with his equipment (Cobra) and apparel (PUMA Golf) sponsors all at once. After being spotted with a TaylorMade Stealth2 Plus just a few weeks ago, representatives from Cobra Puma Golf confirmed that Bryson’s staff contract ended in 2022 and has not yet been—and, therefore, may not be—renewed.

It seems with each passing day that it is less and less likely the two will reunite, as Bryson was recently spotted with PING i230 irons and Cuater “The Ringer” golf shoes, and I anticipate that additional changes will reveal themselves later this week during LIV’s inaugural 2023 event at Mayakoba later this week.

It is worth noting, however, that LIV may not have been the only factor that led to this divorce. Indeed, Bryson has repeatedly bad-mouthed the Cobra drivers, including, most famously, in 2021 when he said the RadSpeed “sucks.” As a result, the lack of visibility due to LIV’s limited calendar and Bryson’s public comments may have been enough to break the camel’s back.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Dustin Johnson (@dustinjohnsongolf)

Bryson, however, won’t be the only LIV golfer without an apparel sponsor this week. After a 15-year relationship, adidas Golf and DJ have decided to end their relationship on quote “amicable” terms.

Adidas Golf president Jeff Lienhart said in a statement to ESPN:

“We’ve mutually agreed to part ways with long-time Adidas athlete, Dustin Johnson. For more than 15 years, Dustin has been a great ambassador for the Adidas brand. We’ve had a front-row seat to see him win multiple major championships, ascend to the No. 1 ranking and cement himself as one of the best golfers in history — all while wearing the 3-Stripes. We wish Dustin nothing but success moving forward.”

Statements from DJ’s camp suggest that the 2020 Masters winner is seeking to do everything he can to increase the value of the 4Aces team, of which DJ is the captain and an equity owner.

One of the sources said:

“As good as the relationship with Adidas has been, it just didn’t fit in his plans. A major part of starting a team is establishing a brand identity and building that brand. The primary asset is the shirt… They [adidas] want the entire shirt. DJ needed a clean break to start his team. He’s grateful to Adidas for letting him out of the deal.”

It remains to be seen whether other LIV golfers who are under similar sponsor arrangements will see partnerships end one by one as their expiration date arrives. In the hopes of locking in additional revenue sources, the only thing that can be done is for golfers who still have entryways into the Majors, such as Brooks Koepka and Bryson being U.S. Open-eligible until 2028 and 2030, respectively, through exemptions, maximize those opportunities to make themselves invaluable—even if just in the short term.

Cover Image via LIVGOLFMediaHub