One of LIV Golf's harshest critics changes his tune: "Best thing for PGA Tour"
Brandel Chamblee has now called for the PGA Tour's agreement with LIV Golf's backers, the PIF of Saudi Arabia, to go ahead after Jon Rahm bolted.
It could be argued nobody hates LIV Golf more than Brandel Chamblee.
The former PGA Tour player, who is now lead analyst for the Golf Channel, has spent the last few years repeatedly bashing rival league players.
Even before LIV Golf launched in June 2022, he called out Saudi Arabia for sportswashing and stated any golfer that signed up to the breakaway would be complicit in laundering the reputation of a murderous, tyrannical dictator.
Such was his disdain for LIV, Chamblee called for six-time major champion Phil Mickelson to be removed from golf's hall of fame.
In light of the 6 June framework agreement announcement, Chamblee said that if the Tour's philanthropic nature dies then the tombstone 'should read Phil'.
Now Chamblee has called for the PGA Tour's agreement with LIV's backers, the PIF of Saudi Arabia, to go ahead.
He believes each tour has something the other side wants and now, sadly, it is the only way forward.
Chamblee told the Dan Patrick show: "I hope the LIV deal goes through now, it's obviously the best thing for the PGA Tour.
"And if it goes through it remains to be seen whether LIV lives or not.
"If it doesn't, it looks like Rahm was the strategic play that LIV needed to make to bring this merger together because each side has something the other side wants.
"Obviously the PGA Tour would like an infusion of money but LIV looks at the PGA Tour and what they see is a seat at the table [and] legacy.
"Every one of the 50 million golfers in the world knows about the history of the PGA Tour.
"They have the respect and recognition of commercial entities, broad commercial entities whereas there is a lot of push back for Saudi Arabia involvement in some of those avenues.
"So, Saudi Arabia gets an immediate seat at the table and the respect and recognition of partnering with the single best entity in the world.
"So they both have something they want. So if it comes together, I think golf is better off.
"If it doesn't, then you're going to have this never ending competition between LIV and the PGA Tour which, sadly, it's hard to imagine how LIV loses here.
"The governor of LIV is Yasir Al-Rumayyan who is well educated, very clever, very charming and can be quite intimidating. And he loves golf."
Watch:
"I hope the LIV deal goes through now. It's obviously the best thing for the PGA Tour. If it goes through it remains to be seen whether LIV lives or not."
-@ChambleeBrandel on what the #PGA Tour could look like in 2-3 years
Full interview: https://t.co/hpLrN6NfBr pic.twitter.com/g3IycUssR4— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) December 8, 2023
"Rahm sold his career out"
Chamblee also had some strong words to say about Jon Rahm's decision to bolt from the PGA Tour to LIV.
According to Chamblee, Rahm sold out his career.
He continued: "I feel like a large part of the professional game is experiencing something like Stockholm Syndrome as it relates to being involved with LIV.
"You look at Jon Rahm's words in the past and the stark contrast to what he said — what he intimated many times.
"It was more convenient for him to do this. It's also clear that he sold his career out."
After acknowledging that LIV is here to stay, Chamblee added: "When you look at Jon Rahm's career and where he was headed — if it's $300m or $400m or I heard you say $560m earlier.
"I would still say he short-sided himself because he did sell his career for... half the price that it would ultimately be worth."
Read more:
Ben joined the GolfMagic team in September 2021, initially as a content executive.
These days, he assumes the position of content manager.
