Bryson DeChambeau alleges ‘disgruntled’ ex-coach tried to extort $2MILLION from him

Reigning US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau is accusing his former coach of attempted extortion, alleging the LIV Golf star reneged on his agreement to fund a junior tour named after his late father.

“He’s not going to blackmail me for $2 million,” the 30-year-old DeChambeau told Golfweek of his former coach, Mike Schy.

Also in dispute is the fact that DeChambeau did not mention Schy’s name when thanking his team and family for last month’s US Open victory.

“Mike’s feelings were hurt,” DeChambeau’s agent Brett Falkoff said. Golf week“That’s ultimately what led to all of this.”

The feud is a major change for the couple, who worked together until 2018. DeChambeau claims to have paid Schy $1 million for his services and even called Schy “a second father.” Now, DeChambeau says Schy is a “disgruntled former employee.”

News of the disagreement first broke earlier this week, when Schy announced that the Central Valley Jon DeChambeau Memorial Junior Tour would be shutting down “due to lack of funding.” Schy subsequently specifically named his former pupil as the culprit.

“Bryson decided that this was not a priority for him and only offered to loan money to his father’s namesake,” Schy’s statement read. “We made efforts to secure alternative financing for 2024 and 2025, but were unable to secure what was needed to operate and staff the tour. We believed we had the necessary support to operate, but were unable to do so.”

DeChambeau responded by telling Golfweek that Schy’s claim is a “complete and utter lie.”

“We’ve had countless conversations, but from a business perspective it hasn’t worked,” said DeChambeau, who had $22 million in PGA earnings before leaving for the LIV Tour in 2022 for a reported $125 million.

“It’s quite disappointing how he’s twisted and turned this around,” DeChambeau continued. “It’s a non-recourse loan that was made. I gave him my father’s name, image and likeness for free, assuming we had a good business plan, and it just hasn’t worked out.

“I’m going to do a lot for my community, but in a different way, with a good business plan and executed in the right way.”

DeChambeau is riding a wave of popularity heading into this month’s Open Championship at Royal Troon Golf Club in Scotland. Not only is he coming off a U.S. Open victory, but criticism of the Modesto, Calif. native’s controversial move to LIV Golf has also waned, leading to his renewed acceptance in golfing circles and beyond.

“I’m at a high point right now and I’m a big character right now and I’m trying to do what’s right for the game of golf and you’re trying to undermine my image to actually hurt the game of golf,” DeChambeau said. “This is just not a story, this is a disgruntled employee, my friend.”

According to Schy, the two came up with the tour while lamenting the lack of affordable junior tournaments in California.

When DeChambeau came up, Schy told Golfweek, there were about 14 affordable events he could play in. Now, things are significantly different.

“They’re all gone,” Schy moaned. “The one or two we have charge an entrance fee of about $200.”

In 2023, Schy organized a test run – a few tournaments that cost $60 per participant. The events were well received, leading to a few more tournaments at local clubs.

DeChambeau eventually asked Schy how much an additional year on the tour would cost, and told Golfweek that his former coach had asked for $125,000 for two years. However, Golfweek obtained a draft of a line of credit showing that the figure was actually $130,000.

Aside from the $5,000 difference, Schy stressed to Golfweek that DeChambeau was hesitant to fork over a six-figure sum.

“I know Bryson and I knew he didn’t really want to give the money and I certainly knew he didn’t want to give it for an extended period of time,” Schy said.

DeChambeau later told him that he hated nonprofits like the junior tour and that he needed to make money from his investment, Schy claimed.

Falkoff responded by telling Golfweek that the real problem was that the documentation for the 501-C3 nonprofit organization was filed incorrectly and that as a result, DeChambeau has not signed any official documents regarding the matter.

“It is our understanding that they initially only filed the certificate of incorporation (not attached) with the California Secretary of State and that they had not executed any articles of incorporation or other organizational documents,” Falkoff told Golfweek in an email.

“It would have been irresponsible of Bryson to advance money to the Tour entity before the appropriate documentation was completed and signed.”

Falkoff accuses Schy of demanding $2 million after DeChambeau’s victory at the US Open last month.

“Mike says, ‘It’s time for Bryson to open his checkbook and I get paid,'” Falkoff told Golfweek. “I want $2 million.”

“I took that back to Bryson,” Falkoff continued. “He said, ‘I’m not going to pay him almost 50 percent of my U.S. Open winnings, that’s not going to happen.’

Schy did not dispute the $2 million request and told Golfweek he has a list of demands, including the renewal of a $60,000-a-year contract for the rest of his life.

He also wants DeChambeau to apologize.

“If you don’t recognize what I’ve done for you, then Mike Schy better watch out for Mike Schy,” he said.

Schy says he was offered a compensation package on July 2, which he claimed was worth “a few dollars,” but was also asked to sign a nondisclosure agreement, which angered him.

“I felt insulted,” Schy said.

When asked about Schy’s response, DeChambeau told Golfweek: “Oh, $300,000 is insulting? Really, considering you haven’t worked with him since 2018?”

“I’m trying to handle it as a good human being,” DeChambeau added. “It’s unfortunate that he went to this position to try to take me down. You know what? It is what it is. It’s not true, not one bit of it.”

According to DeChambeau’s longtime golf coach, he fired Schy’s son David, who “was building a putting green in (DeChambeau’s) backyard.”

DeChambeau explained the decision by saying, “We needed a fair distribution.”

“It was necessary to still have ties with him after he tried to extort me,” DeChambeau said.

Schy also accused DeChambeau of mistreating his late father, who died in 2022.

“He said I’m his second father, right?” said Schy

“He treats me just like his real father. He treated his father like shit.”