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‘Would’ve Done It Differently’: Phil Mickelson & Bryson DeChambeau’s $1 Billion Pitch Comes to Light

A bombshell revelation from Ari Emanuel has shed light on an ambitious, failed bid to revolutionize professional golf before Saudi-backed LIV Golf entered the scene. According to Emanuel, Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau approached him in 2021—prior to Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) stepping in—to finance a $1 billion rival league, dubbed Global Golf.

Emanuel, then chairman of Endeavor, initially agreed, envisioning a team-based format inspired by the English Premier League, with the PGA Tour as a potential partner. However, the deal collapsed amid internal PGA Tour resistance, including concerns from former commissioner Jay Monahan, and never materialized.

Instead, Endeavor’s $1 billion investment later fueled LIV Golf’s launch in 2021, with no Saudi funding involved at the time, though the league’s future remains tied to ongoing bankruptcy proceedings in New Jersey.

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