‘I Miss Seeing DeChambeau, Koepka’: Brandel Chamblee Forced to Clarify Himself After Strange LIV Golf U-Turn

After almost two years of unwavering opposition to LIV Golf, even professional golf’s staunchest critics are showing signs of softening their stance—none more surprising than Brandel Chamblee, the Golf Channel analyst who once declared LIV’s “money comes from the sewer and the product stinks worse than the source.” His unrelenting criticism of the breakaway league has made him both a hero to PGA Tour loyalists and a villain to LIV supporters.

But something shifted during the WM Phoenix Open broadcast. The same analyst who had spent months condemning everything about LIV Golf suddenly found himself acknowledging a potential partnership with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. More surprisingly, he admitted to missing some of LIV’s marquee talent. The question is: What changed?

Brandel Chamblee’s evolution

During the WM Phoenix Open broadcast, Chamblee shared an unexpected perspective after discussing the merger talks between Jay Monahan, Adam Scott, and Donald Trump. “Well look, I felt like it was inevitable after the election,” he said, before revealing a pivotal golf round with the former president that apparently shifted his viewpoint. “At the end of the day did I agree with him? No, but I gotta say he made strong points all day long… At the end of it, I would say he changed my mind. He made me think about Yasir as a partner in the game of golf.”

The golf world barely had time to process this surprising admission when Chamblee took to social media to clarify his position. “I didn’t say I changed my position on LIV—I still don’t like where the money comes from or the product—but I said an agreement seems inevitable now with Trump’s re-election,” he wrote. “As much as I don’t like LIV, I miss seeing DeChambeau, Koepka and Rahm on tour.”

This sentiment seems particularly striking given Chamblee’s recent criticism of Bryson DeChambeau following his 2024 U.S. Open victory. Despite the significance of the win, Chamblee was notably dismissive of the achievement, prompting golf personality Paige Spiranac and numerous fans to express their frustration at what they perceived as unwarranted “hatred” toward the LIV golfer.

The evolution in Chamblee’s rhetoric reflects the broader changes sweeping through professional golf. While maintaining his core criticism of LIV’s funding source and product, his acknowledgment of missing top talent suggests a growing recognition of the impact the rival tour has had on the game’s competitive landscape.

And Chamblee isn’t alone in this shifting narrative.

A broader shift in golf commentary

Perhaps the most significant shift in perspective has come from Rory McIlroy, once LIV Golf’s most outspoken player-critic. The Northern Irishman, who had previously served as the unofficial spokesperson for the PGA Tour’s anti-LIV stance, recently admitted to being too judgmental of players who made the switch. “I think at this point, I was maybe too judgmental of the guys who went to LIV early on,” McIlroy said, marking a dramatic departure from his earlier position.

The shift extends to prominent media voices as well. David Feherty, who in 2022 called LIV Golf “morally questionable” during his time at NBC/Golf Channel, has since moved away from ethical critiques to focus on the league’s entertainment value. Similarly, CBS analyst Colt Knost, who once dismissed LIV as “minor league,” has notably shifted his criticism from moral objections to purely performance-based metrics during recent broadcasts.

As major championships continue to welcome LIV players through their qualification criteria, and with the USGA’s recent exemption policy, the lines between the tours are increasingly blurring. What started as isolated voices of reconciliation have grown into a chorus of measured acknowledgment, suggesting that golf’s divided landscape might be heading toward an inevitable convergence.

The evolving discourse surrounding LIV Golf reflects a broader transformation in professional golf’s landscape. From Chamblee’s careful recalibration of his stance to McIlroy’s public admission of being too judgmental, golf’s most prominent voices are finding new ways to navigate the sport’s complex future. What are your thoughts on these changing perspectives in golf media?