Leading American PGA Tour players have come under fire from Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee for failing to back Rory McIlroy in LIV Golf matters.
Leading American players Jordan Spieth, Scottie Scheffler, and Justin Thomas have come under fire from Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee for failing to back Rory McIlroy during the PGA Tour’s conflict with LIV Golf.
The remarks were made by Chamblee in a remarkable interview with Golfweek.
In addition, the former PGA Tour player declared that Tiger Woods’ agent is the unsung hero of the golf industry’s civil war, and he rekindled his animosity towards Phil Mickelson, the poster child for LIV.
At one point, McIlroy was leading the charge against the leaders of the breakaway tour and urging players to reconsider their decision to play in the rich LIV Golf League.
However, McIlroy seems to have undergone a significant transformation following the June 6, 2023, peace agreement with LIV’s supporters, as evidenced by his significant retreat from the off-course wrangling.
According to Chamblee, 61, McIlroy did not receive the necessary support.
Chamblee told the publication, “I wouldn’t go so far as to say that players were selfish.”
However, it seemed to me that Rory was actively working to undermine the source of funding for LIV. He was also a powerful source for the PGA Tour, but none of the players supported him.
“I didn’t hear Jordan Spieth advocating for him outspokenly. Justin Thomas didn’t sound to me. I heard nothing from Scottie Scheffler. I heard nothing from Xander Schauffele.
“I heard none of them raise the issue with the same vigor that Rory did.
It seemed like he was taking the brunt of the criticism, if not the entire brunt. I believe that eventually—I haven’t confirmed this with Rory, but I believe that eventually—he said, “Listen, I’ve done everything I can do and I’m not getting any support, so I’m going to bow out.” Why must I fight this entire battle by myself?
McIlroy left the policy board in November of last year. He said he had too much going on in his life at first. According to McIlroy, “something had to give” to BBC Sport.
However, a later image surfaced showing McIlroy becoming more and more irate at not being heard.
When discussing his decision to leave the board, McIlroy said, “I just felt like I was banging my head against a brick wall.”
According to reports, McIlroy was pushing for the PGA Tour to work out a deal with LIV Golf’s backers as soon as possible.
Surprisingly, he also seemed to think that players who joined LIV and wanted to go back to the regular Tour shouldn’t have to pay a penalty.
People are difficult to punish, according to McIlroy.
It seems that Scheffler and others don’t agree with McIlroy. The top-ranked player in the world said he would like “a caveat” for any future LIV comebacks.
The player continued, “I would have loved to see more players come out and speak on behalf of the PGA Tour or just the foundation of the game and talk about how the game has gone bad for professional golf over the last couple of years.
“They’ve benefited financially from it, but they’re alienating the core fan, who is the biggest stakeholder in the game of golf.”
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