Bryson DeChambeau, who joined LIV Golf earlier this week for $ 100 million, publicly withdrew from sponsor Rocket Mortgage on Friday, according to The Detroit News. The company mentioned its relationship with the PGA Tour, which hosts the annual Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit, in severing its ties with DeChambeau. The statement, via Detroit News: “Rocket Mortgage has long been a supporter of the PGA Tour, both through our role as official sponsor and host of the tournament, also raising significant funds to help bridge the digital divide in our city. Our partnership with PGA “Tour extends to several prominent golfers, including Bryson DeChambeau, as Rocket Mortgage ambassadors. As has been widely reported, Bryson has been selected to participate in the LIV Golf Series.” Bryson DeChambeau reportedly receives more than $ 100 million to attend LIV Golf. (AP Photo / Eric Gay) This is far from the first time a sponsor ousted golfers almost immediately after joining the Saudi-backed tour. Dustin Johnson, LIV Golf’s biggest acquisition, and Graeme McDowell were fired from the Royal Bank of Canada after joining LIV Golf. Like Rocket Mortgage, RBC is sponsoring the PBC Tour RBC Canadian Open, which is competing this weekend for the LIV Golf kick-off event in London. Lee Westwood lost a sponsorship 14 years ago when UPS cut him off and, of course, almost every sponsor he saw left Phil Mickelson when he said he was willing to ignore human rights abuses in Saudi Arabia to make more money than the PGA Tour. All of this was quite predictable, as the companies would of course go along with the golf tour with which they are active. It’s another business cost for players who still receive a lot more money than they would lose from sponsorships.
