“He turned his back on the game”: Brandel Chamblee rips into LIV Golf star
Brandel Chamblee is still engaging in a verbal dispute with Phil Mickelson, accusing the LIV Golf star of abandoning the PGA Tour.
Brandel Chamblee has criticized Phil Mickelson once more for his decision to join LIV Golf in 2022, accusing him of abandoning the game.
“Since its establishment, Chamblee has consistently been one of the most vocal opponents of LIV, with Mickelson often bearing the brunt of his disapproval.”
During a recent conversation with Golfweek, the main analyst for NBC continued to verbally argue with the six-time major champion, accusing him of causing significant damage to the sport by choosing to switch to LIV.
Mickelson was among the initial prominent figures to sign up for the Saudi-funded league, along with Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia, Louis Oosthuizen, and Ian Poulter.
Since then, the mercurial American has struggled to replicate the form that made him the oldest-ever major championship winner when he lifted the Wanamaker trophy at the 2021 PGA Championship.
Mickelson has yet to record a win on the breakaway Tour and has only managed three top-ten finishes.
Despite that, he is still one of the Tour’s biggest attractions and will likely continue to be so for some time.
It’s that same star power that Chamblee sighted when discussing his disappointment with Mickelson for leaving the premier American circuit.
The former PGA Tour player said.
“Hardly any of these other players had the popularity to make a difference to tilt the game one direction or another. Phil had the potential to do a lot of good in the game.
“The fans loved him. You know, within the small world of golf, there were a lot of people that didn’t particularly care for him, but I certainly enjoyed watching him play.
“he had a very high level of skill and a very high level of knowledge of what he was capable of, and it was fun to watch him.
“I’m disappointed in him because he could have left the game in a better place.
“I think that the players that have gone to LIV have done a disservice to the game of golf. It’s like they’re going to get theirs. It’s like they’re all pulling the ladders up. They had to climb up those ladders to get to where they were, and the people that had placed those ladders were the generations that came before them. But they got there, and they think, well, I did it all on my own, I’m going to get everything for me. I’m pulling the ladders up.
“I think Phil could have done a lot of good for the game of golf. Instead he’s really hurt the game.”
Chamblee went on to be questioned about a potential reconciliation with Mickelson but confessed it could be some time before that happens.
And he stated the offer still stands about a potential interview on Golf Channel.
“He won’t do it,” Chamblee said.
Some acquaintances have suggested bringing us together, but he disagreed with the idea.
He preferred appearing on Piers Morgan during the week of the U.S. Women’s Open when I was busy.
Nonetheless, I am willing to have a conversation with him. However, there is nothing he can say that will alter my decision.
Mickelson and Chamblee’s debates are frequently brought to the public’s attention, with X usually being the main battleground for their discussions.
Check out Mickelson’s barbed response to an article about Chamblee below.
