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  • Bryson DeChambeau using Saudi-funded 5M LIV Golf salary to expand size of town by 200 acres

    Bryson DeChambeau using Saudi-funded $125M LIV Golf salary to expand size of town by 200 acres

    LIV Golfer Bryson DeChambeau has a grand plan for the $125 million he’s receiving from his Saudi Arabian bosses. 

    The controversial 31-year-old golf star said during an interview on “The Joe Pomp Show” he bought 200 acres of land in his hometown of Modesto, California, and plans to expand the town by 30%.

    “We are doing a mega project,” DeChambeau said. “It’s been in the works for a couple of years now, and we’re at the place where we are getting permits to build. People know about it now. 

    “We have acquired massive amounts of land in my hometown, and it’s a three-phase process to build a whole community and increase the size of where I grew up by 30%”

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    Bryson DeChambeau of LIV Golf before The Showdown: McIlroy and Scheffler v. DeChambeau and Koepka at Shadow Creek Golf Course Dec. 16, 2024, in Las Vegas.  (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images for The Showdown)

    DeChambeau says his intention is to create a prominent golf presence in the community, adding the timeline for completing this project is just over a year. 

    “It’s a full-scale plan, fully thought out. It’s not only to bring golfers to the game but also to bring people to the central valley. You build a community around a multisport complex center,” he said.

    “It’s going to take 12-15 months to get the permits approved for the full scope. It’s over 200 acres of land what we have right now. It’s going to be a multisports complex center — driving range, golf course, residential community center, the whole thing.”

    DeChambeau was paid a reported $125 million to join LIV Golf in June 2022. He says his latest project is only possible because of the massive salary from the Saudi-funded organization.

    WOMEN’S GOLF STAR CHARLEY HULL FAWNS OVER ‘BRILLIANT, LEGEND’ TRUMP AFTER DOING HIS DANCE AT TOURNAMENT

    Bryson DeChambeau

    Bryson DeChambeau reacts after putting on the fifth hole during the third round of the U.S. Open.  (Jim Dedmon/USA Today Sports)

    “A lot of the reason why I have been able to do this is because of LIV. They gave me the economic viability to do these things and the platform to be able to do it, growing on YouTube,” he said. 

    DeChambeau was one of many American golfers to incite widespread backlash from fans for choosing to compete in the Saudi-backed league when it launched due to humanitarian concerns with Saudi Arabia and its relations with the west. 

    Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed and Jon Rahm were other prominent PGA stars who chose to accept the massive LIV paychecks during the league’s aggressive pursuit of the sport’s biggest names. 

    DeChambeau is also a close friend of President Donald Trump’s and invited Trump to play with him in a video on his YouTube channel. 

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    Bryson DeChambeau celebrates the US Open win

    Bryson DeChambeau cradles the U.S. Open trophy after his win in the final round of the 2024 U.S. Open Championship on the No. 2 Course at The Pinehurst Resort June 16, 2024, in Pinehurst, N.C. (David Cannon/Getty Images)

    DeChambeau told Fox News Digital at the time he had no regrets about it.

    “There’s always risk associated to that. But, from my perspective, it was focused on entertainment,” DeChambeau told Fox News Digital in August at Maridoe Golf Club, site of the LIV Golf Team Championship. 

    “We can talk about politics. That’s a whole different conversation, something that I was not trying to do on my YouTube channel. It was solely on providing great entertainment.”

    DeChambeau joined Trump, Elon Musk and Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, to watch the SpaceX rocket launch in November. 

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    Jackson Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital. He previously worked for ESPN and Business Insider. Jackson has covered the Super Bowl and NBA Finals, and has interviewed iconic figures Usain Bolt, Rob Gronkowski, Jerry Rice, Troy Aikman, Mike Trout, David Ortiz and Roger Clemens.

  • LA Hughes Fire only 14% contained after burning 10K acres

    LA Hughes Fire only 14% contained after burning 10K acres

    The Hughes Fire in Los Angeles has now burned over 10,000 acres and remains just 14% contained, fire authorities in the city announced Thursday.

    The Hughes Fire, which was first reported on Wednesday morning, was first located in the unincorporated community of Castaic in northwestern Los Angeles County. It quickly spread thanks to aggressive winds that have plagued fire-fighting efforts for weeks.

    More than 4,000 fire personnel are assigned to Hughes Fire, authorities say.

    “The weather is what is predominantly driving this fire and its spread right now. A red flag warning remains in effect until 10 a.m. Friday,” Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said in a statement. “It remains a difficult fire to contain, although we are getting the upper hand.”

    CALIFORNIA FIRES: ESSENTIAL PHONE NUMBERS FOR LOS ANGELES-AREA RESIDENTS AND HOW YOU CAN HELP THEM

    A house burns as the Palisades Fire rages on at the Mandeville Canyon in Los Angeles, California, on Jan. 11, 2025.  (REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton )

    The blaze has forced some 50,000 people to evacuate, and it also caused temporary road closures on Interstate 5 on Wednesday.

    LA FIRES DESTROYED RYAN O’NEAL’S MALIBU HOME HE ONCE SHARED WITH FARRAH FAWCETT

    Earlier in the day, Cal Fire urged residents in several regions near the Hughes Fire to leave immediately, including the vicinity of Castaic Lake, Paradise Ranch and the Ridge Route.

    “Immediate threat to life. This is a lawful order to LEAVE NOW,” the Cal Fire alert reads. “The area is lawfully closed to public access.”

    Wildfires in Los Angeles

    A helicopter makes a drop as smoke billows from the Palisades Fire at the Encino neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, on Jan. 11, 2025.  (REUTERS/Daniel Dreifuss     )

    There have also been reports of a fire in the Sepulveda Pass near Sherman Oaks. The fire was initially reported as one acre, but the Los Angeles Fire Department has since reported all forward progress stopped with the fire held at approximately 40 acres. 

    “The Evacuation Warning is LIFTED. There are no structures damaged and no injuries reported. Firefighters will remain on scene through the night conducting mop up operations to ensure no hot spots remain. Traffic on the 405 Freeway will likely remain impacted as crews and apparatus work alongside the freeway,” the notice stated.

    Mayor Karen Bass says that although the fire is being addressed, all Angelenos should heed the warnings from public safety officials.

    “Air support and other aggressive actions have been deployed to fight a new fire just east of the 405,” she posted to X. “To all Angelenos in the area, follow guidance from public safety officials to stay safe.”

    Karen Bass leaves a packed news briefing with FEMA officials

    Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass leaves a press conference as she visits the FEMA Disaster Recovery Center, following wildfires, in Los Angeles, California, on Jan. 14, 2025.  (REUTERS/Daniel Cole)

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    The new fires come amid a deadly wildfire season in the Golden State, as firefighters have battled destructive Southern California blazes for weeks. 

    Fox News’ Andrea Margolis contributed to this report.

    Anders Hagstrom is a reporter with Fox News Digital covering national politics and major breaking news events. Send tips to [email protected], or on Twitter: @Hagstrom_Anders.