Over his career, Phil Mickelson has had some strong critics who have poured their heart out against the golfer. But, interestingly, one person stands out among the list of people from whom he has received the brunt of the attack over the years. However, surprisingly, this time the observer didn’t attack the ‘Lefty’ but the PGA Tour owing to its recent decisions.
A tweet was shared by the golf analyst a while back, mentioning how the results of the deal that was made by the circuit with the Strategic Sports Group were blind to what the PGA Tour stands for. Moreover, he even went ahead to dub them as actions that “ignore the very legacy” of the circuit!
Phil Mickelson’s detractor questions the PGA Tour’s decisions
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As per the recent deal with SSG, a total of 180 players would be given $900 million in equity shares. Well, Brandel Chamblee wasn’t one to keep quiet. He mentioned how rewarding the golfers “for their loyalty” by an entity that is the “sum of the toil of players, executives, sponsors, and volunteers over the course of more than a century” is blind to what it actually stands for.
Adding on, he recounted how every person stated above was part of “something that predated their participation” while being responsible for passing on a better PGA Tour to their successors. However, the writer also pointed out how paying the current golfers, as per the recent decisions, goes ahead to “ignore the very legacy the PGA Tour claims to want to protect.” Meanwhile, it gives something more of a “false credit” to the players of the current generation for “merely contributing” to the whole picture.
Continuing with his tweet, the analyst also decided to draw a parallel with LIV Golf mentioning how they have “merely bought a moment in time.” In the meantime, the Jay Monahan-led circuit has a “pipeline of players” who can replace the defectors. Moreover, he also highlighted the need for the PGA Tour to stop playing into their game of “producing great players and stories.” But, while doing so, Chamblee also took to draw out a crucial difference between the two: “The PGA Tour may not be able to compete when it comes to buying players but the Saudis can’t even come close to producing them.”
The idea of paying current players for their loyalty and giving them equity is, in my opinion, blind to what the PGA Tour is. It is an entity that is the sum of the toil of players, executives, sponsors and volunteers over the course of more than a century. Each one was a part of… https://t.co/Skd8UfJrdQ
— Brandel Chamblee (@chambleebrandel) February 2, 2024
A thought-provoking tweet, no less, from the analyst. Nevertheless, he is much more famous for his attacks on Mickelson owing to his shift to LIV Golf. But even so, it isn’t as if the pro has always taken it hanging.
The Mickelson-Chamblee feud
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Chamblee has taken to his X handle many times over the years to take a shot at ‘Lefty’. Once he shared a tweet on his social media mentioning how the 53-year-old is “welcome to come on the Live From set at the US Open to discuss the merits of playing for scary MFers,” while alluding to the remarks made by the LIV golfer. Adding on, he said, “My guess he’s too soft to come on and debate,” all the while taking a jab at the pro.
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But, surprisingly, Mickelson didn’t take it as it is, as the golfer replied to how the critic “can rip apart me(sic) and countless others but as soon as someone shows his ignorance he can’t handle it,” as he sarcastically dubbed Chamblee as “poor”. What’s more, he also termed him “softer” than when he was a player as he clapped back to the analyst’s comments about the Saudi-backed league and its players.
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The attacks over the years have surely left the golfer exasperated, if not fed up with the analyst. Well, now it appears the critic has shifted his focus to the Monahan-led circuit and its recent actions. Regardless, one can only wait and see what else will follow the agreement worth $3 billion.