Bryson DeChambeau says LIV-PGA Tour deal needs to happen fast 'for the good of the game'

DORAL — With negotiations between the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund dragging into 10 months, LIV golfers appear united on what needs to happen.

A deal needs to be struck.

"The only answer is for us to somehow come together in some sort of terms where it makes sense and for us to be playing all again in somewhat of the same boat," Bryson DeChambeau said Wednesday ahead of the LIV event at Trump National Doral.

"And it needs to happen fast. It's not a two-year thing. Like it needs to happen quicker rather than later just for the good of the sport. Too many people are losing interest."

Jupiter's Rory McIlroy, ranked No. 2 in the world, told Golf Monthly this week he believes the current state of golf is "not sustainable." This is despite PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan saying last month that negotiations with Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the man behind the PIF, are accelerating.

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"We are in a transitional state where we now have competition and that's leading to a lot of disruption and change," Phil Mickelson said Wednesday. "I don't know how it's going to end up, exactly, or what it's going to look like. I'm putting my trust in Yasir and where the game is headed more globally.

"But at some point when it gets ironed out, I think it's going to be in a much better place."

That, Mickelson said, will open more opportunities for manufacturers, course design and players from around the world.

"But right now, we are in the disruption phase, so we are in the middle of the process," he said. "And when it's all said and done, it's going to be a lot brighter. But while we go through it, it's challenging. But we'll get there."

Jon Rahm, the latest superstar to defect from the tour to LIV, is looking forward to next week's Masters, one of four majors that bring together the best players on both tours. Rahm, the defending Masters champion, just wants more of those opportunities.

"It's great to have the majors where we come together, but we want to be competing, at least I want to be competing, every week with all of the best players in the world, for sure."

Joaquin Niemann is one of the 13 LIV golfers in the Masters, the only one who had to rely on an invitation to play. The North Palm Beach resident is calling on those sitting at the table to unite the sport.

"The players, we are just here and we need to make birdies to make everything better," he said. "It's up to other people to come into an agreement and know what is going to be the best for the game and have all of those guys working into the same direction and not thinking against each other."

Tom D'Angelo is a senior sports columnist and golf writer for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at tdangelo@pbpost.com.