Bryson DeChambeau’s 2024 U.S. Open victory has led to a bitter feud with his longtime golf teacher.
In an interview with Golfweek released Wednesday, DeChambeau claimed that his former coach, Mike Schy, tried extorting $2 million from him after his victory last month at Pinehurst.
The allegation comes after Schy claimed that the 30-year-old golfer didn’t hold up his end of a supposed deal to help fund the Central Valley Jon DeChambeau Memorial Junior Tour, named after DeChambeau’s late father.
“It’s a complete and utter lie, all of it,” DeChambeau told Golfweek about Schy’s claims. “It’s a disgruntled former employee, unfortunately, and it is what it is. … I gave him my dad’s name, image and likeness for free on the assumption we’d have a good business plan and it just hasn’t worked out.”
DeChambeau won his second U.S. Open on June 16, eking out the one-stroke win over Rory McIlroy, who missed some crucial putts down the stretch.
The golfer’s agent, Brett Falkoff, told Golfweek that Schy was upset over DeChambeau not shouting him out after his victory at Pinehurst.
“I always tell Bryson don’t single out anyone individually, always mention the team,” Falkoff told the outlet. “Then you don’t have to worry about hurting anyone’s feelings; Mike’s feelings got hurt, that’s ultimately what led to all of this.”
Schy was still upset two days after the U.S. Open ended, according to Falkoff, and then reeled off demands.
“Mike says, ‘It’s time that Bryson opens up his checkbook and I get paid. I want $2 million,’ ” Falkoff told Golfweek. “I took that back to Bryson. He said, ‘I’m not paying him almost 50 percent of my U.S. Open winnings, that’s not going to happen. I’m willing to compensate him for help with [golf club manufacturers] Krank and Avoda but he’s not going to extort me for $2 million.’ ”
Schy wanted a reinstatement of a $60,000-per-year salary he says he was promised and turned down a compensation offer he dismissed as “a few bucks,” though DeChambeau says he offered $300,000 and that the two haven’t worked together since 2018.
Schy also claimed DeChambeau fired Schy’s son David, who was building a putting green in DeChambeau’s backyard; DeChambeau told Golfweek he “needed a clean split” from the Schy family due to the alleged extortion attempt.
Although Schy claimed that DeChambeau had intentionally not funded his attempts at a more affordable junior tour circuit in DeChambeau’s native Clovis, Calif. area, the pro rejected those assertions.
“He was using his placement in regards to my dad’s name to leverage a junior tour to be created so he could bring more kids out to his place, which I don’t care about,” DeChambeau told Golfweek. “All I care about is doing the right thing for the Central Valley, which is what I want to do and I will continue to do in numerous facets.”
DeChambeau has racked up over $34 million in his career to date, ranking 43rd all-time.
Most recently, DeChambeau pocketed $4.3 million with his U.S. Open win, plus nearly $2 million by finishing second at the PGA Championship in May.
After nearly a month-long hiatus, DeChambeau and his fellow PGA competitors will return to the links for The Open Championship in Troon, Scotland, with action beginning July 18.
DeChambeau has only finished in the top 10 in one of six Open Championships that he’s played.
