The PGA Tour’s key partners are sticking by it as the rival LIV Golf Series gets underway. Rocket Mortgage, for example, ended its relationship with Bryson DeChambeau on Friday after he joined the Saudi-backed league.
Rocket Mortgage’s Aaron Emerson said in a statement, “Rocket Mortgage has been a long-time supporter of the PGA Tour, both as an official partner and as a tournament host.” “The Rocket Mortgage Classic has quickly become a Tour fixture, with players traveling to Detroit to compete while also raising critical funds to help bridge our city’s digital divide.” Our PGA Tour partnership includes several prominent golfers, including Bryson DeChambeau, who serve as brand ambassadors for the Rocket Mortgage brand. Bryson, as previously reported, chose to participate in the LIV Golf Series.
“Rocket Mortgage has canceled its sponsorship deal with Bryson with immediate effect. We wish him well in the future.” DeChambeau won the Rocket Mortgage Classic in 2020, marking his first victory after undergoing a significant physical makeover. DeChambeau, who won the U.S. Open a few months later, is not the only former champion of our national competition who has recently been let go by a longtime sponsor.
Recently, Dustin Johnson and Graeme McDowell’s relationships with the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) came to an end. Not only did the two decide to sign with the LIV Golf Series, but they also did so the week before the Canadian Open, RBC’s marquee competition on the PGA Tour. Although other sponsors might follow in the footsteps of Rocket Mortgage and RBC, most other sponsors have so far stayed with their players.
It makes sense for Rocket Mortgage and RBC to act in tandem with the PGA Tour, which announced disciplinary sanctions for its defectors on Thursday following the first tee shot in the inaugural LIV Golf Series Invitational event. In addition, significant businesses including Farmers Insurance, Workday, Fortinet, Mastercard, and AT&T have agreements with the PGA Tour and its players and have staged tournaments this year. Similar actions will probably take place if any of its ambassadors decide to leave the PGA Tour.