GAINESVILLE, Va. — Bryson DeChambeau’s relentless devotion to his craft has become the stuff of legend among peers, who describe the LIV Golf star’s work habits as near maniacal. Even when not on the range, the self-proclaimed perfection seeker often is assessing how he can elevate his practice regimen.

That attention to preparation and execution has contributed to DeChambeau’s two U.S. Open titles, including last year at Pinehurst. It hasn’t, however, interfered with another responsibility DeChambeau embraces with similar gusto. As much as winning occupies a wide berth in his headspace, so, too, does being a showman.

Forays into that realm have transformed the renegade from the PGA Tour, where he had been a divisive figure, into a social media sensation, with millions of followers on TikTok and Instagram. His YouTube channel has north of 2 million subscribers. DeChambeau’s visibility on such platforms is virtually unmatched in the sport.

“Did I ever think it would get this big?” he said during a pretournament news conference ahead of this week’s LIV event at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Gainesville, Virginia. “I had no clue. I really had no idea. Is it now an incredible responsibility? Yes, and I understand that. I want to continue to entertain my fans and continue to play the great game of golf that we all love at the highest level.

“I want to compete, and I want to entertain. Those are the two things I love doing, and it’s quite an honor.”

Count the president of the United States among his admirers. Earlier this week, DeChambeau visited the White House and, at the urging of President Donald Trump, hit balls on the South Lawn, turning the swath of property into a makeshift par-3. A video of the moment posted by an official White House account on X has been viewed close to 900,000 times.

Another viral moment came when DeChambeau traveled to Utah, where he posted to his YouTube channel a video with the tongue-in-cheek title, “Day in the life of a recreational golfer …” Highlights included flying in a helicopter to a mountain range to hit balls and doing the same at the Bonneville Salt Flats several hours west of Provo. The 63-second clip has generated almost 1 million views.

One of DeChambeau’s most viewed TikTok videos came in November, five months after outlasting Rory McIlroy by one stroke at the U.S. Open. In the post, which has garnered 1.5 million likes, DeChambeau used a wedge to hit over the roof of his home onto a green in his backyard, needing 134 swings before collecting an ace that triggered a cap-tossing celebratory sprint to retrieve the ball.

“I’ve always seen this side of him, this playful, fun side, intelligent side, interesting side of him,” said Phil Mickelson, the six-time major champion who departed the PGA Tour for LIV three years ago. “Since he has really dove into the YouTube space, now everybody gets to see it because he’s able to showcase that and not have it filtered by a middle person. … It’s been remarkable to see the evolution of that and the way the public has responded to him, because he’s always been like that. It just hasn’t been able to get noticed, I guess, properly.”

Still, the mere mention of DeChambeau can roil PGA Tour loyalists. Some have cast him as a turncoat since he bailed for the Saudi-financed circuit that seeks to disrupt traditional golf norms with 54-hole tournaments in which there are no cuts and team as well as individual competitions.

DeChambeau sparked more controversy at this year’s Masters after telling reporters that McIlroy, who won his first green jacket to complete a career grand slam, did not speak with him while they played together during the closing round.

McIlroy’s sports psychologist, the famed Bob Rotella, indicated during a subsequent radio interview with the BBC that the decision not to engage with DeChambeau was strategic and not intended as a personal slight. Also in the aftermath, Padraig Harrington, a three-time major winner, and analyst Brandel Chamblee were critical of DeChambeau.

None of that has mattered to DeChambeau’s legion of fans who clamor for his autograph at tournaments. DeChambeau reciprocates by signing and posing for pictures before and after each round. He said he plans more of the same this week while also getting his game and mind right for next week’s U.S. Open at Oakmont, among the most demanding venues that have hosted the tournament.

DeChambeau is aiming to become the first back-to-back winner at the U.S. Open since Brooks Koepka, also on the LIV tour, did so in 2017 and 2018.

“I feel like Bryson is somebody that changes and tries new things every time, which I feel like there’s nothing wrong with that,” said Joaquín Niemann, who leads the individual LIV standings, with DeChambeau second. “You can learn a lot from new experiences. Obviously, he’s different. He’s way different than me, way different than anybody. The way he approaches the game is completely different, which I feel like is unique, and in his way, it works for him.”