Golf analyst Brandel Chamblee has been a vocal critic of the Saudi-backed LIV Golf league ever since it came into existence. Chamblee has bashed the league for its format and has come after its players, especially Phil Mickelson. Recently, the analyst criticized Jon Rahm, who thought that his LIV move could be a “tipping point” for players making a switch to the Saudi-backed league. Chamblee also accused the Spaniard of having turned his back on the history and legacy of the sport.
A YouTube channel called BACK 9 FILMS shared some of the statements given by the American golf analyst. Chamblee claimed, “He’s [Rahm] incredibly naive or he’s lying when he says that he thinks this is a tipping point for anything other than the demise of professional golf as we know it. It’s not a tipping point for anything other than the complete collapse of professional golf.”
Chamblee added, “The only tipping point that this is, is that this is the beginning of the end. This is the beginning of the end of the PGA Tour. This is the beginning of the end of professional golf as we know it.”
Chamblee called the money offered by LIV Golf “malevolent in nature.” He added that players can “pretend that the impulse to take the money is good,” all they want, but the truth was far from it.
When Jon Rahm Called His LIV Golf Move A “Tipping Point”
Just a few days before the 2024 Masters, Rahm attended the Chipping Forecast podcast. He was optimistic about the potential merger deal between the PIF and the PGA Tour. The Spaniard also spoke on his pre-analysis of being a “tipping point” on both the unification of golf, and of more players making a move to the Saudi-backed league. Rahm said, “I think it’s a tipping point in a sense that it shows that players are willing to make the move and that the PGA Tour is not the only option out there.”
Jon Rahm was also optimistic that the PGA Tour and LIV are close to a deal: “I think we’re getting closer and closer to an agreement. I think both sides are starting to realize that it’s in the best interests of the game to come together.”
It is noteworthy that after Jon Rahm moved to LIV Golf, two other European players, Tyrrell Hatton and Adrian Meronk, ended up joining the Saudi-funded league. Although the Spaniard is optimistic about the agreement between the two tours, there still has been no revelation regarding any progress whatsoever. Now, it remains to be seen if the golf world ultimately get united again as a result, or remain scattered like it has been for the last two years.
