The creation of the LIV Golf League in 2022 has caused quite a stir in the golf community. Brandel Chamblee, a former pro golfer and Golf Channel analyst hasn’t shied away from expressing his thoughts on the Saudi-backed league.
Chamblee has been critical of LIV Golf’s format and operations multiple times on media platforms. On the No Laying Up podcast, he reiterated that the league’s primary funders, PIF, have not received a “worthwhile return” from their investment into the league yet.
“So you come to the last hole and you need to birdie to win the individual competition but a par to win the team, are you really trying to make a birdie because if you take the risk and the team loses there’s hell to pay, so I think it’s an insult to the integrity of competition,” Chamblee said (at 1:34:00).
In an interview with Golf WRX in May 2024, Brandel Chamblee went on to criticize the operations of the league. As opposed to the PGA Tour’s staggered tee times, LIV Golf follows a shotgun format where all players tee off at the same time but from different holes.Chamblee said:
“The format for LIV is just stupid. There’s no other word for it. 54 holes, 54 players start. Willy nilly here and there. Nobody winning a golf tournament should finish on the third hole on some par three while his closest competitors finish on the 17th hole or the 18th hole. It’s just a laughable concept. There’s no way to judge the talents of these players out there
