Golf analyst Brandel Chamblee took a massive dig at Jon Rahm for switching to LIV Golf last year. Rahm took a leap from the PGA tour to the breakaway league at a crucial stage when both circuits were in talks to decide on a framework for the merger. Also, he became one of the high-profile additions to the PIF-funded league, and signed a record deal.
Now, Chamblee, who has sternly opposed the Greg Norman-led circuit since its inception, has shared his thoughts regarding Rahm’s move, and he did not hold back!
Brandel Chamblee Lashes Out At Jon Rahm For His LIV Move
Although Chamblee thought that Rahm regarded the legacy of the tour and wouldn’t sell out for money, he now thinks that Rahm has diminished his career prospects following the move. Speaking in a podcast, he said:
“The music was blaring, he had shorts on, and he was getting pretty pissy about somebody taking a picture of him in the middle of his swing…And it just hit me! It just hit me…. and I thought, this guy went from essentially having a lead role in The Godfather to now being a sideshow vaudeville act.”
Added to that, he continued,
“And all these players, it seems to me, realise that they’ve all made a faustian pact. All of them…They’ve all sold their independent nature. Independent contractors is what they were referred to when playing the PGA Tour.”
Chamblee also reflected on how the players were independent before and could choose which event to participate in and where to go. The golfers could skip events and play wherever they wanted. But that free well has changed since the switch.
The analyst also showed concern about the sport and how fragmented it is.
“What’s happening to the game of golf is that we’re risking alienating the lifelong fan of the game, the core golfer…I think the game has been irreparably damaged and tilted towards greed. And I don’t know if the game will ever be the same, unfortunately.”
He ended the interview by shedding light on how fans are getting detached from the sport due to the switch between the tour,s and in the coming future, the consequences are concerning.
