Golf analyst Brandel Chamblee never misses out on a chance to criticize the Saudi-backed league. Ever since the league came into existence, Chamblee has bashed it for its format, and came after its players, especially Phil Mickelson.
Recently, the analyst criticized Jon Rahm, who thought that his LIV move could be a “tipping point” for players making a switch to the Saudi-backed league. He also accused the Spaniard of having turned his back on the history and legacy of the sport.
A YouTube channel called BACK 9 FILMS shared some of the statements given by the American golf analyst. Chamblee claimed,
“Jon Rahm thought his departure was going to be the tipping point. It wasn’t the tipping point at all,” as quoted by the channel in the video.
He added,
“He went from being viewed as his own man to being somebody that could be bored. He went from being viewed as somebody who would state their principle very clear of history and legacy and then turns back on those principles for money and finances.”
Chamblee called the money offered by LIV Golf “malevolent in nature.” He added that players can “pretend that the impulse to take the money is good,” all they want, but the truth was far from it.
“The thread that runs through every single aspect of life and not one of us can really say who held the money that we have in our hands before we did. But when we know exactly who’s paying you and exactly what they’re paying you for and it’s core malevolent in nature, you can’t pretend that the impulse to take the money is good when it’s heavily fertilized by greed.”
When Jon Rahm Called His LIV Golf Move A “Tipping Point”
Just a few days before the 2024 Masters, Rahm attended the Chipping Forecast podcast. He was optimistic about the potential merger deal between the PIF and the PGA Tour. The Spaniard also spoke on his pre-analysis of being a “tipping point” on both the unification of golf, and of more players making a move to the Saudi-backed league.
Rahm said,
“I think I could be the start of a tipping point, yeah. I understood the weight that that decision could have and the impact it could have. Yes. I understood that perfectly. That’s why it wasn’t such an easy decision.” Rahm added by saying,”I’m still struggling to see a pathway to unification but perhaps they’re closer than what we see in the public. Only time will tell.”
Jon Rahm was also optimistic that the PGA Tour and LIV are close to a deal:
“Now Yasir, his excellency, and the PGA Tour board have had a meeting, right. There’s definitely some discussions that haven’t been there in the past. If anything we’re closer to some kind of unification than…
— Flushing It (@flushingitgolf) April 8, 2024
It is noteworthy that after Jon Rahm moved to LIV Golf, two other European players, Tyrrell Hatton and Adrian Meronk, ended up joining the Saudi-funded league. Although the Spaniard is optimistic about the agreement between the two tours, there still has been no revelation regarding any progress whatsoever. Now, it remains to be seen if the golf world ultimately get united again as a result, or remain scattered like it has been for the last two years.
