'It's All About Putting Cash In Their Pockets' - Chubby Chandler Takes Aim At TGL
Rory McIlroy's former agent thinks the tech-infused contest has been launched to reward PGA Tour players who didn't sign for LIV Golf
Rory McIlroy’s former agent Chubby Chandler has had his say on the TGL – and he’s not impressed by what he has seen so far.
The tech-infused contest, which was co-founded by McIlroy and 15-time Major winner Tiger Woods, only began earlier in the month, but Chandler already has strong opinions on it.
Speaking to Prime Casino, Chandler claimed the TGL has only been launched to reward PGA Tour players who resisted the lure of LIV Golf.
He said: “I can’t believe it. I actually made a plan to be awake at 2am to watch that. I was completely open-minded. I had no idea whether I was going to really like it or really hate it and I think the public have missed the point of what it is. And the point of what it is is paying 20 top guys instead of f****** LIV Golf. That’s what it is.
"However they dress it up, they’re giving all these top players the money because they’ve not gone to LIV. It’s all about putting cash in their pockets."
Chandler is also uninspired by the roster - which comprises 24 PGA Tour players, including McIlroy and Woods - and explained it shows the TGL is repeating mistakes made by LIV Golf.
He added: “The team event at LIV should have had women in it, then it would have looked like a team event, but it never looked like a team event because they just had four players playing an individual tournament and added the scores together.
Get the Golf Monthly Newsletter
Subscribe to the Golf Monthly newsletter to stay up to date with all the latest tour news, equipment news, reviews, head-to-heads and buyer’s guides from our team of experienced experts.
“I think TGL have probably missed the same thing, but that’s why it is money for the boys. Why wouldn’t you have Charley Hull, otherwise? Charley Hull would be more entertaining than all the other players on Tuesday night, so long as they made it not a non-smoking area. She would have been brilliant on it.”
Chandler then went further, suggesting the short game layout is flawed, although he thinks it’ll take the rest of the season to fully assess its merits.
He added: “The chipping and putting was what it was. It was what it looked like. When you’re on an artificial green, that’s what happens. They can’t make it real enough. Are you suddenly going to get a different set of players who are better at simulator golf? No. The same basic talent needed to play a simulator is the same as the talent to play real golf.
“The bunkers, they’re all flat. Some of it you look at and you are left questioning why it is like that. Anyway, time will tell. It’ll be very interesting in 10 weeks time or whatever it is.”
Chander wasn’t even impressed by the fact the players were mic’d up, and claimed that they can only entertain in one way – via their on-course ability. He said: “At the end of the day, they’ve put this thing together to show another side of the players, but that side is not very interesting.
“They’re talking about them being entertainers, and they are magnificent entertainers - but how do they entertain us? They hit golf shots better than you or I or a lot of other people. That’s the way they entertain us. They don’t entertain us by cracking jokes.
“For me, it didn’t hit the mark. Obviously, I’m in a different position to most people because I’ve seen a lot of stuff from the other side but I’m not sure it needed everything like that. If you look back at the tapes of it, the crowd are looking bewildered because they don’t know what was going on.”
Mike has over 25 years of experience in journalism, including writing on a range of sports throughout that time, such as golf, football and cricket. Now a freelance staff writer for Golf Monthly, he is dedicated to covering the game's most newsworthy stories.
He has written hundreds of articles on the game, from features offering insights into how members of the public can play some of the world's most revered courses, to breaking news stories affecting everything from the PGA Tour and LIV Golf to developmental Tours and the amateur game.
Mike grew up in East Yorkshire and began his career in journalism in 1997. He then moved to London in 2003 as his career flourished, and nowadays resides in New Brunswick, Canada, where he and his wife raise their young family less than a mile from his local course.
Kevin Cook’s acclaimed 2007 biography, Tommy’s Honour, about golf’s founding father and son, remains one of his all-time favourite sports books.
-
The Masters Field 2025: Who Is Playing At Augusta National?
Take a look at the how the field is shaping up for the 2025 Masters along with the qualifying cirteria in operation for Augusta National
By Paul Higham Published
-
St Andrews To Host 2027 Open Championship
The Old Course at St Andrews will stage the 155th Open Championship to maintain the five-year rotation of the Home of Golf staging the battle for the Claret Jug
By Paul Higham Published
-
'Those Two Don't Go Together' - Justin Thomas Points Out What Fans Might Have To Give Up If They Want Faster Play On Tour
Thomas was discussing pace of play on tour after Atlanta Drive's 4-0 win over New York in TGL - where a 40-second shot clock has been well received by fans
By Jonny Leighfield Published
-
New York Golf Club vs Atlanta Drive GC: TGL Week 3 Preview
The third TGL match features New York Golf Club in its second appearance taking on Atlanta Drive GC, which makes its debut - here is all the key information about the contest
By Mike Hall Published
-
Tiger Woods' TGL Debut Proves More Popular Than Rival NBA Clashes As League Bosses Celebrate Ratings Increase
Woods' Jupiter Links suffered a blowout TGL loss on Tuesday night, but it still caught the attention of over 1 million fans - more than two concurrent NBA games
By Jonny Leighfield Published
-
I've Watched The First Two Weeks Of TGL And Here Are The Best (And Worst) Aspects So Far
The second ever match of TGL featured their biggest star in Tiger Woods, but did the event live up to the hype? Looking back at the evening, I'm still on the fence...
By Matt Cradock Published
-
Watch: Tiger Woods In Hysterics After Moment Of Madness From TGL Teammate
The Jupiter Links GC star cried with laughter following teammate Kevin Kisner's misjudged bunker effort during the encounter with Los Angeles Golf Club
By Mike Hall Published
-
Los Angeles GC Defeat Tiger Woods' Jupiter Links GC In Commanding TGL Victory
Los Angeles GC put Woods' team to the sword, as the trio of Collin Morikawa, Sahith Theegala and Justin Rose closed out a dominant 12-1 victory
By Matt Cradock Last updated
-
How Much Are TGL Tickets?
Interest in Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy's TGL has been significant early on, with the first few weeks of action completely sold out...
By Jonny Leighfield Published
-
Which Players Are Sitting Out In TGL Week 2?
The TGL consists of six teams of four players but, for the matches themselves, just three from each team feature, as one player is forced to sit out
By Matt Cradock Published