Since the inception of LIV Golf in 2022, one of its biggest critics has been the Golf Channel’s lead analyst Brandel Chamblee.
That stance didn’t waver with the 6 June announcement that the PGA Tour was planning to merge with the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) that finances the circuit, which he described as “one of the saddest days in the history of professional golf.”
However, as the two parties continue to try and iron out the details that would see them join forces, the latest twist in the saga came last week with World No.3 Jon Rahm’s LIV Golf move.
Losing one of the greatest players in the world to LIV Golf is undoubtedly a blow to the PGA Tour, and without a long-standing truce, the prospect of more of its stars eventually defecting can’t be discounted. In the wake of the Rahm news, Chamblee appeared on The Dan Patrick Show, where he explained why he now hopes the PGA Tour and PIF can reach an agreement.
He said: "Well, I hope the LIV deal goes through now. It's obviously the best thing for the PGA Tour. If it goes through it remains to be seen whether LIV lives or not. If it doesn’t, it looks like Rahm was the strategic play that LIV needed to make to bring this merger together because each side has something the other side wants.”
"I hope the LIV deal goes through now. It's obviously the best thing for the PGA Tour. If it goes through it remains to be seen whether LIV lives or not."-@ChambleeBrandel on what the #PGA Tour could look like in 2-3 yearsFull interview: https://t.co/hpLrN6NfBr pic.twitter.com/g3IycUssR4December 8, 2023
Chamblee then outlined what he thinks each circuit would like that the other has. He continued: “Obviously the PGA Tour would like an infusion of money but LIV looks at the PGA Tour and what they see as a seat at the table, legitimacy, legacy.
“Every one of the 50 million golfers in the world knows about the history of the PGA Tour. They have the respect and recognition of commercial entities, broad commercial entities, whereas there is a lot of pushback for Saudi Arabia involvement in some of those avenues.
"So Saudi Arabia gets an immediate seat at the table and the respect and recognition of partnering with the single best golf entity in the world. So they both have something that they want.”
Chamblee thinks Jon Rahm's move was a "strategic play" needed for the merger to go ahead
The parties are working towards a 31 December deadline to reach an agreement, but Chamblee thinks the PGA Tour stands to lose the most if the talks break down.
“So if it comes together I think golf is better off," he said. "If it doesn’t then you are going to have this never-ending competition between LIV and the PGA Tour which, sadly, it’s hard to imagine how LIV loses here. The governor of LIV is Yasir Al-Rumayyan who is well educated, very clever, very charming and can be quite intimidating and he loves golf.”
Chamblee has also said that Rahm has “sold his career out” in signing for LIV Golf.
