Brandel Chamblee’s distaste for LIV Golf is well known. Since the big-money circuit’s founding, the Golf Channel analyst has regularly criticized it; now, he is targeting its structure.
During an interview with the No Laying Podcast, Chamblee maintained that the return on investment has not been worth the money invested by the Saudi Public Investment Fund. “If we simply consider the product that they released, to consider the billions of dollars they invested, along with the time and energy, and that’s the product, you know?” he said.
He continued by focusing on what he believed to be the shortcomings of the product, saying, “They’re out there taking pictures and playing music, but the individual competition isn’t as important as the team competition.
Chamblee then discussed the shotgun start feature of the format, in which each of the 54 players starts their round simultaneously from a different hole. This implies that the winning putt frequently occurs on a hole other than the eighteenth, and Chamblee believes that this undervalues the skill that goes into golf course design.
“You’re not meant to win golf tournaments on the third or fourth hole,” he clarified.
The highest drama is typically not found on the second, third, or fourth hole. This is why you pay architects to create a crescendo of drama and they carefully consider how they want a championship or round to unfold. It will develop, and you should follow a set order in championships.
Given Saudi Arabia’s human rights record, Chamblee has previously criticized the source of LIV Golf’s investment. He was harshly critical of that once more before dismissing the offered product.
“Leave aside where the money comes from and that cunning and insane, but let’s just look at the competition—it’sridiculous,”he uttered.
Additionally, Chamblee maintained that he would refuse an offer of the kind that have drawn some of the top players in the world to LIV Golf. “I’d like to think I wouldn’t take it, but it’s a fair enough assumption of anyone to say you would take,” he stated.
Does that kind of money make things easier in some ways? Indeed, it does. It’s simple to say that you wouldn’t accept the money, but then you consider how corrupt that type of money can be and how it might encourage your children to work hard and earn money. When I wake up in the morning, money is not on my mind.
The remarks made by Chamblee in an interview with Golf WRX in May are similar to those he made then: “The format for LIV is just stupid.” There’s just no other way to put it. 54 players begin the 54 holes. Randomly every now and then. In a golf tournament, the winner shouldn’t end up on a par three third hole while his closest rivals finish on the 17th or 18th hole.”
It’s just a ridiculous idea. It is impossible to assess these players’ abilities.”
