“They haven’t paid me my second half of the PIP money” - Bryson DeChambeau opens up about PGA tour lawsuit
Peter Uihlein has dropped out of the LIV Golf lawsuit against the PGA Tour, leaving just Matt Jones and Bryson DeChambeauas the names on the suit.
Initially, there were 11 players in the lawsuit, challenging the PGA Tour's suspension of players joining the Saudi-backed circuit.
Earlier, Carlos Ortiz, Abraham Ancer, Jason Kokrak, and Pat Perez withdrew their name first, followed by Phil Mickelson, Talor Gooch, Hudson Swafford, and Ian Poulter dropping their name last September. Uihlein, who joined the lawsuit in August, is the ninth to opt out of it.
DeChambeau said that PGA Tour hasn't paid the Player Impact Program (PIP) to him and this is why he is seeking the money with the help of a lawsuit.
He told ESPN last year:
"One of the reasons I’m in the lawsuit is because they haven’t paid me my second half of the PIP money. “The money isn’t the significant part, it’s more the principle."
The 2020 US Champion added that Tour told him that he didn't fulfill the PIP requirement.
"They said because you’re not in good standing, we’re not allowing you to do something to help out junior golf and junior golfers," he said last year. "To me, that’s childish. It just shows where they stand emotionally. I respect and understand it, but when you’ve completed something and provided entertainment for them last year, that’s the reason I’m in the lawsuit."
Only time will tell whether Jones and DeChambeau will remain in the lawsuit or we can see both of them opting out.
What's next for Bryson DeChambeau?
Bryson DeChambeau will next be competing at the LIV Golf from May 12 to 14 in Tulsa at Cedar Ridge Country Club. DeChambeau is yet to win on Saudi backed tour and has finished 24th, 44th, 16th, 28th, and 22nd in five events this year. He sits at 38th position with just five points.
Charles Howell III emerged as the winner in the season opener held at Mayakoba, while Danny Lee secured victory in Tucson. Brooks Koepka, who had finished T2 at the Masters, clinched the top spot in Orlando. Talor Gooch achieved consecutive victories by winning the Adelaide and Singapore events.
In the individual portion of the season standings, Gooch is currently in the lead, while in the team portion, 4Aces GC led by Dustin Johnson holds the top position.
Here are the individual standings at the moment:
- Talor Gooch: 92
- Peter Uihlein: 73
- Charles Howell III: 69
- B Koepka: 66
- C Ortiz: 54
- P Reed: 49
- M Pereira: 47
- S Garcia: 46
- C Smith: 45
- S Munoz: 43
- D Lee: 41
- B Steele: 40
- D Burmester: 37
- M Wolff: 33
- C Tringale: 33
- A Lahiri: 32
- B Grace: 32
- P Perez: 31
- J Kokrak: 31
- D Johnson: 29
- S Vincent: 25
- L Oosthuizen: 22
- K Na: 22
- P Casey: 18
- J Niemann: 18
- H Varner III: 16
- M Jones: 14
- C Schwartzel: 12
- S Horsfield: 12
- H Stenson: 12
- M Leishman: 9
- B Watson: 8
- I Poulter: 7
- E Chacarra: 7
- P Mickelson: 7
- G McDowell: 6
- R Bland: 6
- B DeChambeau: 5
- Abraham Ancer: 5
- L Canter: 4
- T Pieters: 4
- J Morgan: 3
- L Westwood: 2
- D Puig: 2
- C Koepka: 1
- B Wiesberger: 0
- J Piot: 0
- Andy Ogletree: 0
- M Kaymer: 0
- S Kim: 0