Brandel Chamblee just isn’t a fan of LIV Golf, and that’s placing it calmly. He hardly ever misses a chance to voice his opinion on the PGA Tour’s rival.
Jon Rahm rattled golf on Thursday, asserting his departure to LIV Golf. In fact, Chamblee weighed in on the state of affairs throughout a Golf Central interview, not holding something again.
“I really feel like a big a part of the skilled sport is experiencing one thing like Stockholm Syndrome because it pertains to being concerned with LIV,” Chamblee stated. “You have a look at Jon Rahm’s phrases prior to now and the stark distinction to what he stated — what he intimated many instances. It was extra handy for him to do that. It’s additionally clear that he offered his profession out.”
Over the past 18 months or so, Rahm has publicly pledged fealty to the PGA Tour, trashed LIV Golf’s format and scoffed on the thought of becoming a member of.
But, right here we’re, watching Rahm signal for someplace within the neighborhood of $500 million to go away the PGA Tour.
Chamblee then hinted at a attainable drawback with the long run deal between the 2 excursions.
“That is PIF’s response to the PGA Tour courting non-public fairness. It was nearly like they had been saying, ‘Okay, you’re going to court docket non-public fairness, we’re going to come back down triple-fold.’”
The PGA Tour overtly had preliminary discussions with Fenway Sports activities Group and Endeavor as attainable traders this summer time.
“That is nothing greater than an enormous chess sport. I’ll be curious to see the wording of Rahm’s engagement with LIV. Is it that he will get to maintain the cash and play a number of LIV occasions, or does he get to maintain the cash and fall ball into the fold of the PGA Tour?”
This was merely painful to observe. One of many stunning issues about Jon Rahm, past his transcendent golf expertise, has been his charisma and freedom with a microphone.
Tonight, we watched him turn out to be a talking-points robotic on dwell TV. Powerful scene. pic.twitter.com/xO9Qs2aBAC
— Jeff Eisenband (@JeffEisenband) December 7, 2023
Nevertheless, Chamblee wasn’t sounding the alarm bells for the PGA Tour.
“Will Jon Rahm’s participation deliver extra viewership to LIV? Most likely will, and to the diploma that it does, that’ll damage a bit of bit, however I wouldn’t name it devastating,” he stated.
Chamblee acknowledged that LIV Golf isn’t going wherever. They’re right here to remain. Nevertheless, he does really feel like Rahm undersold himself.
“While you have a look at Jon Rahm’s profession and the place he was headed — if it’s $300 million or $400 million or I heard you say $560 million earlier. I’d nonetheless say he short-sided himself as a result of he did promote his profession for… half the value that it might in the end be value,” Chamblee stated.
He thinks Rahm might have finally joined the likes of Woods and McIlroy and be value over a billion {dollars}.
“Should you have a look at Rahm’s trajectory, what he was able to doing. At 29 years of age — one other 10, 11, 12 years of an 8% win share,” Chamblee stated. “I don’t suppose it might shock anyone that he would have finally been value a billion or two or three billion {dollars} given the character of the escalating purses and cash introduced into the PGA Tour.”
Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf employees author for SB Nation’s Enjoying By way of. You’ll be able to observe her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports for extra golf protection. You’ll want to take a look at @_PlayingThrough too.
