Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee has criticised the leading American PGA Tour stars for not supporting Rory McIlroy over LIV Golf matters.
Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee has criticised leading American stars Jordan Spieth, Scottie Scheffler and Justin Thomas for not supporting Rory McIlroy throughout the PGA Tour’s feud with LIV Golf.
Chamblee made the comments in an extraordinary interview with Golfweek.
The former PGA Tour player also suggested Tiger Woods’ agent is the unsung hero of golf’s civil war whilst he also renewed his hostilities towards LIV’s posterboy Phil Mickelson.
At one stage McIlroy was leading the charge against the breakaway tour, imploring golfers to think twice before joining the lucrative LIV Golf League.
But the 6 June 2023 peace deal with LIV’s backers appeared to instigate a huge change in McIlroy that has seen him take a huge step back from the off-course wrangling.
Chamblee, 61, contends that McIlroy did not get the support that he needed.
“I wouldn’t go so far as to say that players were selfish,” Chamblee told the publication.
“But I felt like Rory was out there and was a force against the source of the money for LIV, and he was a formidable source for the PGA Tour, and he didn’t get the support from any of the players.
“I didn’t hear Jordan Spieth being vocal in support of him. I didn’t hear Justin Thomas. I didn’t hear Scottie Scheffler. I didn’t hear Xander Schauffele.
“I didn’t hear any of them as forcefully as Rory was speaking out on the issue.
“It was like he was taking most of the heat if not all of the heat, and I think after a while, I don’t know it to be the case, I haven’t talked to Rory, but I think after a while, it was listen, I’ve done everything I can do and I’m not getting any support, so I’m going to bow out. Why is it up to me to fight this whole battle myself?”
McIlroy resigned from the policy board last November. Initially, he stated he had far too much going on in his life. “Something had to give,” McIlroy told BBC Sport.
But a picture later emerged in which McIlroy was growing increasingly frustrated at not having his voice heard.
“I just felt like I was banging my head against a brick wall,” McIlroy said when he opened up on the decision to quit the board.
McIlroy was reportedly rallying for the PGA Tour to strike a deal as soon as possible with LIV Golf’s backers.
Remarkably, he also appeared to believe players who joined LIV and wished to return to the established Tour shouldn’t be hit with financial penalties.
“It’s hard to punish people,” McIlroy said.
The likes of Scheffler, in particular, appears to disagree with McIlroy. The world number one stated he wants ‘a caveat’ for any potential LIV returns.
Chamblee added: “I would have loved to see more players come out and speak on behalf of the PGA Tour or just the traditions of the game and the foundation of the game and talk about how where the game has gone over the last couple years has been bad for professional golf.
“It’s been great for them from a financial standpoint, but they’re alienating the biggest stakeholder in the game of golf, which is the core fan
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