‘He Could Have Left The Game In A Better Place’: Brandel Chamblee Criticizes LIV Golf Poster Boy Phil Mickelson For Allegedly Turning His Back On The PGA Tour

Kunal Singh | 02/04/2024
Brandel Chamblee and Phil Mickelson

Former American golfer turned commentator Brandel Chamblee had been critical of the LIV Golf ever since its inception in 2022. His constant verbal attacks had been on the league’s roots and the players who joined it, specifically, the poster boy Phil Mickelson. Recently, while speaking to Golfweek, he has again criticized the famous lefty golfer.

When the interviewer asked Chamblee about which Saudi-backed league player had disappointed him the most. The American immediately answered revealing that player to be none other than Mickelson. He said that when the golfer started his professional career, he was compared with legendary Arnold Palmer. But he felt that after the 53-year-old joined the league, he turned his back on the game and the PGA Tour.

“I’m disappointed in him because he could have left the game in a better place. People were, early in his career or most of his career, they were making the analogy that he had similarities to Palmer, go for broke, gave the fans what they wanted, and I think he turned his back on the game. I think he turned his back on the stage that made him who he was and all the people that came before him,” Chamblee said.

Phil Mickelson Takes A Jab On Brandel Chamblee’s Comments On Him

After Golfweek shared the interview with Chamblee in a post on X (formerly Twitter), the 53-year-old American replied stating that the American commentator ripping him apart several times certainly shows the latter’s ignorance. The LIV golfer wrote in his comment,

“Poor Brandel He can rip apart me and countless others but as soon as someone shows his ignorance he can’t handle it. He’s softer now than he was as a player.”

Nobody knows whether Brandel Chamblee will change his stance on Phil Mickelson and other LIV Golf players. But after Rory McIlroy’s sudden U-turn, it will not be a surprise if the American commentator does the same once the deal between the PGA Tour and the Saudi PIF gets finalized.

Post Edited By: Manaal Siddiqui
Phil Mickelson

About the author

Avatar photo

Kunal Singh

Kunal is a golf journalist for The SportsRush. He is an avid golf fan with a huge inclination towards Rory McIlroy's drive and Phil Mickelson's short game. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication and is currently pursuing a MBA in Media Management. Before joining The SportsRush, he has already penned over 1300 articles. If not covering stories on golf, you can find him brainstorming various fiction stories, composing music, and playing snooker.

Don’t miss these