The vast majority of the talk leading up to this weekend’s PGA Championship was about framework agreements, negotiation committees, and other off-the-course terms relating to the business end of men’s professional golf.

But on Sunday, Bryson DeChambeau proved that the PGA Tour vs. LIV Golf rivalry exists more in the board room than on the golf course.

DeChambeau was poised to take on Xander Schauffele in a playoff on Sunday before Schauffele lipped a 6-foot putt in on 18 to win the tournament.

It denied DeChambeau a chance at his second major win but marks a resurgence in his game after struggling with injuries in 2022 and the first half of ’23. Despite falling short of giving LIV back-to-back PGA Championship wins, DeChambeau was more than gracious after the event.

The 2020 U.S. Open champion said about the final few holes:

“Exhilarating. I haven’t felt like that in a long time.”

POV: @b_dechambeau’s chip-in on 18 #PGAChamp pic.twitter.com/wdJgDKSNvB

— LIV Golf (@livgolf_league) May 19, 2024

That quote says a lot for the stage that the majors set now — only four times a year that we get all of the world’s best golfers in one place. One has to wonder if the “long time” DeChambeau referred to includes the 58 he shot last August to win the LIV Golf Greenbrier event.

DeChambeau explained:

“When I was younger, I didn’t understand what it was. Yeah, I would have great celebrations and whatnot, but I didn’t know what it meant and what I was doing it necessarily for. Now I’m doing it a lot more for the fans and for the people around and trying to be a bit of an entertainer that plays good golf every once in a while.”

The big hitter off the tee also was firmly in the corner of a young fan on Sunday.

Great moment from Bryson dechambeau, he tossed a kid his ball after #9 that gets intercepted by an older man and waits until it gets back in the right hands pic.twitter.com/NgxfwwVgwZ

— anthony (@asreynolds24) May 20, 2024

DeChambeau tossed his ball to a youngster between the ninth and 10th holes, but it was intercepted by an adult. DeChambeau pointed out the lack of class by the adult, and stood by until the wrong was righted. 

The kid’s face after he got the ball back says it all.

It’s these kinds of things that mean to the world to the youngest fans. Reason there’s height limits that I fully support to get to PGA Tour autograph areas https://t.co/0aXiKcBEau pic.twitter.com/4Wi9v0nlee

— Jack Hirsh (@JR_HIRSHey) May 20, 2024

While DeChambeau didn’t walk away with the Wanamaker Trophy on Sunday, he likely gained a new fan for life.

Cover Image via Golf Magazine