After chastising Phil Mickelson for abandoning the PGA Tour, Brandel Chamblee has escalated his verbal sparring with the player.
Phil Mickelson came under fire from Brandel Chamblee once more for “turning his back on the game” after he made a high-profile move to LIV Golf in 2022.
Since the beginning of LIV, Chamblee has been one of the most vocal opponents, and Mickelson has frequently been the focus of his criticism.
The six-time major champion and the lead NBC analyst continued their verbal sparring in a recent interview with Golfweek, with the latter accusing the former of having “really hurt the game” by switching to LIV.
Among the first well-known players to sign up for the Saudi-backed league were Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia, Louis Oosthuizen, and Ian Poulter, including Mickelson.
The volatile American has since found it difficult to return to the form that saw him win the 2021 PGA Championship and become the oldest major championship winner in history.
Mickelson has only managed three top-ten finishes and has yet to record a victory on the breakaway Tour.
In spite of this, he remains one of the Tour’s main draws and probably will be for some time to come.
When Chamblee talked about his disappointment with Mickelson for quitting the elite American circuit, he referenced the same star power.
The former PGA Tour player said:
Seldom did any of these other players have the level of fame to influence the outcome of the game. Phil had a great deal of potential in this game.
“He was adored by the fans. You know, there were a lot of people in the small world of golf who didn’t really like him, but I always enjoyed watching him play.
It was entertaining to watch, and he possessed a great deal of skill and knowledge about his abilities.
He could have ended the game in a more favorable position, which is why I’m disappointed in him.
“I believe that the golf game has suffered because of the players who went to LIV. It appears as though they will receive theirs. It appears as though they are all raising the ladders. The generations who came before them were the ones who had erected the ladders that they had to climb in order to get where they were. However, after arriving, they reasoned that since they had done everything by themselves, they should receive everything. As I pull up the ladders.
“Phil could have had a great impact on the game of golf, in my opinion. Rather, he has seriously harmed the game.
When asked about a possible reconciliation with Mickelson, Chamblee continued, admitting it might take some time.
Additionally, he said that the offer remains valid for a possible Golf Channel interview.
“He won’t do it,” Chamblee said.
Our mutual friends have made the offer to arrange a meeting for us. It was not what he wanted to do. When I was working the week of the U.S. Women’s Open, he wanted to go on Piers Morgan. Let me take a seat and have a conversation with him, though. However, nothing he says will persuade me otherwise. Nothing.
Arguments between Mickelson and Chamblee have frequently been made public, with X usually serving as their favored arena of contention.
See below for Mickelson’s scathing reply to a Chamblee article.
Poor Brandel
He is capable of abusing me and countless others, but he loses his cool when someone demonstrates their ignorance. Compared to his playing days, he has softened.
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