“[PGA Tour] Don’t Even Stand Up Against LIV”: Rory McIlroy’s Former Agent Chubby Chandler Makes a Bold Claim

The battle between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf has been an everlasting one. Many people have expressed their stern opinions about LIV, and some people, shockingly, like Rory McIlroy has also gotten soft about the Saudi-funded league. A few pros, such as Bryson DeChambeau also regarded that LIV Golf is better than the American Tour. Interestingly, this is becoming somewhat of a common notion!

Recently, Andrew “Chubby” Chandler, McIlroy’s former manager sat for an exclusive interview with EssentiallySports covered by Aravind S Menon with the assistance of the Betideas and its host Duncan Wright. He is currently working with Darren Clarke, who competes in the PGA Tour Champions. In the conversation, Chandler openly spoke about how the American Tour’s events are nowhere nearly comparable to LIV Golf’s events. 

When questioned about what he thinks about the delayed merger between PIF and PGA Tour in the exclusive conversation with EssentiallySports, Chandler said, “I think at the end of next year, but then something will have happened to bring them together.” Along with this, he also brutally called out regular Tour events, “So I think I think when it’s a PGA Tour event, a regular event, they don’t they don’t even stand up against LIV.”

Elaborating further, he pointed out the excitement LIV Golf has brought to Golf. He also mentioned how the field of the Tour events is getting week, especially with Tiger Woods not being there in the competing circle and taking up additional roles. “If Tiger was still I think it will be different, where he isn’t going to play again. And he’s certainly not going to play enough to make a difference on the PGA Tour,” said Chubby Chandler. 

In an exclusive interview with EssentiallySports, Chandler also talked about how the signature and non-signature events of the PGA Tour hold up in terms of field and popularity. He said, “The signature event this weekend is probably pretty similar strength field, maybe slightly stronger on the PGA Tour. But the the non signature events are nowhere compared with LIV. You know, the LIV events are far more talked about from top to bottom.” 

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Andrew “Chubby” Chandler also made another bold claim with respect to Northern Irishman’s probable defection to LIV Golf. However, those claims were later nullified by McIlroy’s hysterical remarks. 

Rory McIlroy disqualifies Chubby Chandler’s defection remarks with humor

Chubby Chandler pointed out that McIlroy might defect to LIV Golf for a ballpark of $750 million. “If you were being cynical, you might say he’s going to sign for about £750million in a month with LIV because he’s paving the way that LIV’s okay now, whereas it wasn’t,” said Chandler while quoting golfer’s “10% possibility” of defection . What did the 4x major champion thought of it? He thought Chandler’s remarks were hysterical! 

While Mcllroy may have a hint towards shift by his sudden resignation from the player-director role in November 2023, he brushed off Chandler’s claim lightly. Addressing the remark casually and with a smile on his face, he said that Chandler might be writing a book and “I might have seen him in the Middle East actually, he might know a few things.” 

Certainly, the Irish golfer is a gem and a loyalist to the PGAT from the beginning! What do you think of Chubby Chandler’s remarks on LIV Golf and the PGA Tour? Let us know in the comments below! 

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