Brandel Chamblee blasts “stupid” LIV Golf

Brandel Chamblee has reiterated his position on LIV Golf and, spoiler alert, he still absolutely hates it.

The former PGA Tour winner has been one of the most outspoken critics of the league since it launched two years ago.

And whilst he believes that a deal between its bankroller, the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, and the PGA Tour is in the game’s best long-term interests, that doesn’t mean he’s a fan of the Greg Norman-fronted circuit.

In an interview with GolfWRX, Chamblee said: “The format for LIV is just stupid. There’s no other word for it. 54 holes, 54 players start. Willy nilly here and there.

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“Nobody winning a golf tournament should finish on the third hole on some par-3 while his closest competitors finish on the 17th hole or the 18th hole.

“It’s just a laughable concept. There’s no way to judge the talents of these players out there. You look at their data, and again, their data is laughable. It’s very hard to hit 75% of your greens and it looks like everybody on their tour is hitting 75% of greens.

“Who’s keeping their stats? Who’s doing their data? They haven’t gotten their act together.”

Chamblee was also dismissive of suggestions that LIV Golf should be eligible for world ranking points.

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The league withdrew its application to the OWGR in March after being rejected by the organisation last October.

According to Chamblee, the OWGR reached the only logical conclusion.

“They went to play on a tour that they knew didn’t qualify for world ranking points,” he said. “So, if they want to get in majors, they’re going to have to figure out a way to qualify, the way Joaquin Niemann did. Go play some events that we can clearly judge the kind of player that you are.

“The format of LIV is just not conducive to judgement.”

• You can watch the full interview with Chamblee on the GolfWRX YouTube channel.

Michael McEwan is the Deputy Editor of bunkered and has been part of the team since 2004. In that time, he has interviewed almost every major figure within the sport, from Jack Nicklaus, to Rory McIlroy, to Donald Trump. The host of the multi award-winning bunkered Podcast and a member of Balfron Golfing Society, Michael is the author of three books and is the 2023 PPA Scotland 'Writer of the Year' and 'Columnist of the Year'. Dislikes white belts, yellow balls and iron headcovers. Likes being drawn out of the media ballot to play Augusta National.

Deputy Editor