Brandel Chamblee has been one of the most consistent voices against LIV Golf over the past four years.
While opinions around the league have shifted for some, Chamblee has not backed down from his criticisms or changed his view of what LIV represents.
However, OWGR’s decision to award world ranking points to the league this week has seen an unexpected shift in that narrative.
The announcement on Tuesday that the OWGR would begin awarding points for LIV events from this season was initially seen as a significant win for the Saudi-backed league.
Brandel Chamblee weighs in after OWGR changes stance on LIV Golf
OWGR’s call has not gone down well with everyone. LIV CEO Scott O’Neil voiced his frustration, pointing out that only the top 10 players per event will earn points under the new system.
Chamblee echoed some of those sentiments during an appearance on 5 Clubs, making it clear where he stands on the issue.
“The Official World Golf Rankings should be in the business not of governance, it should be agnostic, it should be ecumenical, it should be blind, pick your phrase. If you’ve got a problem with LIV’s format, and a lot of us do, that’s a governance issue, that’s not a measurement issue.
“Every player in LIV should be ranked, if you really want to have an accurate measurement of who’s playing the best golf in professional golf right now. Of course, a lot of people in the world of golf don’t like that.
“We can talk all day about whether or not we like or dislike LIV Golf, clearly I don’t, but I’ve come full circle on whether or not they should receive world ranking points, because I sit down and I think what is the core job of a ranking system? It is to accurately rank who the best golfers in the world are playing professionally, and it should be agnostic about the format or participation,” he concluded.
Where Brandel Chamblee and LIV still do not see eye to eye
LIV will argue that Chamblee’s comments carry real weight, especially given how outspoken he has been against them in the past.
And if someone with that history says every player should be getting points, LIV will not be shy about using it as part of their argument going forward.
But even if there is some agreement on the general point, there is still a clear gap between how many points should actually be handed out. That remains a sticking point.
As things stand, finishing 10th in Riyadh gets you roughly the same number of points as finishing 29th at the WM Phoenix Open.
This is likely a fair assessment, given that the PGA Tour’s depth of talent is arguably greater.
But O’Neil has pushed back on that view, arguing that LIV’s top 25 can compete with the PGA Tour’s best. From his side, plenty of players are still being undervalued by the system.
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