After A Respectable Fight Brandel Chamblee Finally Surrenders To The Saudis And LIV Golf
Nobody in professional golf has been a more staunch critic of the Saudi government, its Public Investment Fund, and their ties to LIV Golf than Brandel Chamblee. When the PGA Tour announced a framework agreement with the Saudi PIF he described it as "one of the saddest days" in the sport's history, but as a new reality has taken shape, Chamblee now believes a deal must be struck between the PGA Tour and the Saudis to end this ever-growing divide in professional golf.
The former Tour player and now Golf Channel analyst was one of the lone people with a voice worth listening to that was still anti-all things LIV Golf. Chamblee took issue with Saudi Arabia's deplorable human rights record - which is more than fair - and subscribed to the idea that the Saudis and their bottomless pockets were operating a sportswashing scheme in professional golf.
While many disagree with his hatred for LIV Golf, it's hard not to respect just how firmly he planted his flag in the PGA Tour's camp and for how long he stood there waving it.
Now, like many others in professional golf, Chamblee is waving a white flag of surrender as the realization that the Saudis and LIV Golf are not going anywhere has fully sunken in.
"The PGA Tour is in this pickle like it or not, but, do you want to compete with someone who’s not gonna go away (LIV), who can outspend you (PIF)," Chamblee said on Golf Channel.
"Every move they make that makes their Tour better deletes your Tour and causes more division within the Tour. So the time is now, to Rory’s point about making a deal, I wouldn’t have said that a year ago… but it is the better end of the bargain."
(Photo by Chris Condon/PGA TOUR)
Brandel Chamblee Understandably Changes Tune On Saudi Involvement In Golf
Chamblee immediately opened himself up to being mercifully mocked for this change of tune, and he's certainly aware of that, but the fact of the matter is that he's also right.
Reality then is not reality now.
Prior to June 6, 2023, when the framework agreement was announced between the PGA Tour and Saudi PIF, the world of golf had never been more divided and critics on each side of the argument had legs to stand on.
Despite there being very little progress being made on an actual agreement between the two sides thus far, everything changed that day as the two most powerful forces in golf - one backed by a PIF valued at over $700 billion - said they wanted to get into business together.
Chamblee mentioned Rory McIlroy during his new-found opinion as well. McIlroy was the unofficial spokesperson for the PGA Tour during its ongoing battle with LIV Golf, but even he got worn out with the fight. He resigned from the Tour's policy board, and is now months into his new era of wanting the Saudis to have a seat at the table with the PGA Tour.
It may be a simple way to look at it when we're talking about such a complex scenario, but Chamblee appears to have simply had enough of all the division in the sport and finally realized that the only way professional golf can get back to being about the actual best golf at this point in time is Saudi involvement.