When Charles Howell III’s plan to leave LIV Golf and play on the DP World Tour in 2027 became apparent, the initial thought for many would have concerned what his decision meant for Bryson DeChambeau.

Bryson DeChambeau has arguably been the most vocal supporter of whatever LIV 2.0 turns out to be, with Scott O’Neil potentially his only rival on that front. So it certainly seemed to be a blow for the two-time US Open champion that one of his Crushers teammates has decided to walk away.

It was also surprising, given that those on the Crushers have done better than most at buying into the team format on LIV. It would not have been a shock to see Howell III, Paul Casey, and Anirban Lahiri follow DeChambeau wherever he went next.

It is that dynamic that may explain exactly why DeChambeau apparently wants to stay on LIV Golf for 2027.

Bryson DeChambeau assembled a LIV Golf team he knew would not rival him

DeChambeau is undoubtedly the lead singer of the group. When he signed with LIV in 2022, he had won eight times on the PGA Tour, with the high point of his career coming at the 2020 US Open where he claimed his first major title.

Howell III, Casey, and Lahiri have won six PGA Tour events and one LIV title between them. Meanwhile, Howell III and Lahiri have both registered just one top-10 in the majors during their careers.

They are all superb professionals who have been around for a long time. Casey turns 50 next year, while Howell III will join him by the end of the decade.

So it makes sense that they were so competitive in the team format on LIV.

But what they were never going to do was steal the spotlight away from DeChambeau.

That is important when you consider the list of players who have already announced their intention to sign up for LIV 2.0.

Bryson DeChambeau needs to be the biggest star wherever he is playing for the sake of his brand

Few are going to watch LIV next year to see how Richard Bland, Brendan Steele, Ben Campbell, or Cameron Tringale fare.

If DeChambeau stays, however, he is likely to be, by far, the biggest star in the league. He will probably be the undisputed focal point, much like Cristiano Ronaldo in the Saudi Pro League.

Obviously, some will argue that he would be a lot better off working his way back to the PGA Tour via the DP World Tour. However, DeChambeau has built his brand off the fact that he is unique and does stand out.

If he returns to the PGA Tour, there is a very real possibility that he would get somewhat lost in the shuffle, as Brooks Koepka has done in 2026. It should not be forgotten that he missed the cut at the three of the four majors this year, so there is absolutely no chance of DeChambeau rivalling Scottie Scheffler.

Whether it was intentional or not, DeChambeau assembled a team on LIV that, as a unit, would help him become the biggest star. But the lineup he opted for also assured that none of his teammates would be able to rival him for that top spot.

DeChambeau is probably aware that his brand is better off with him being the biggest fish in what is now barely more than a puddle, rather than a very good player on the biggest stages in the game.

That is exactly why there seems to be a very good chance of DeChambeau signing up for LIV 2.0 when so many are walking away.