Brandel Chamblee has launched an impassioned defence of The Players Championship, arguing that the absence of LIV golfers from the flagship event is merely a “mild disappointment” in his eyes and it does not detract from the prestige of the historic tournament.
Often referred to as “the best field in golf” by the PGA Tour, The Players’ line-up in 2024 has been forced to withstand a notable level of criticism amid the absence of several star names – a handful of which have recently defected to the LIV Golf League.
It was noted during the Golf Channel broadcast, on which Chamblee was speaking, that the winner of 17 of the past 30 Majors would not be at this year’s Players.
While Chamblee did not try to argue that the field was as star-studded as it perhaps has been, the former PGA Tour pro stated that The Players is about “celebrating the best” male golfers on the European and US-based tours – therefore, whoever competes in it should feel fortunate to be a part of its history and highly-regarded status.
Chamblee said: “I look at the prestige of this event, the fact that some of the best players in the world are not here. It’s a mild disappointment. I love watching those guys play golf [Smith and Rahm], but they decided to play on another tour. This tour is meant to celebrate the best of the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour.
“The players that are going to LIV have been courted away not with prestige but with greed. Prestige comes to an event, not just because of the money, it comes because of the gauntlet, the course, the tour they play on.
Jon Rahm will not be in this year’s Players after defecting to LIV Golf
(Image credit: Getty Images)
“I look at this event as somewhat of a reward for supporting the PGA Tour in its foundation of philanthropy. That’s what the PGA Tour has always been about. This is meant to be a reward for being a player on the PGA Tour and being one of the best players on the DP World Tour.
“So while it is at least, in my view, a mild disappointment – yours [addressing Paul McGinley] may be more than a mild disappointment – that they’re not here, I don’t think that it detracts from the prestige of this tournament in any substantive way.”
Golf Channel anchor, Rich Lerner then pointed out that The Players has historically been known as men’s golf’s fifth Major – a tag that can easily be argued no longer exists due to the absence of players like Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, and Joaquin Niemann.
Chamblee responded by saying…
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