To say the breaking news of the PGA Tour’s merger with the LIV Golf League caught virtually everyone off guard would be a massive understatement.
Golf Twitter has been ablaze on this Tuesday morning with shock and awe and the reactions have been flying fast and furious.
Since the inception of the PGA Tour vs. LIV debate, there have been a few prominent, outspoken critics of the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund-backed breakaway tour, most notably Golfweek’s Eamon Lynch and Golf Channel’s Brandel Chamblee.
A tweet he posted on May 31, essentially sums up his long-held view of LIV golf:
Chamblee has made his position clear time and again
As I have said many times, LIV Golf is not so much a sports entity as it is MBS / Saudi Arabia trying to hide their atrocities and launder its reputation by buying sports stars. Any yielding to or agreement with them is a deal with a murderous dictator. https://t.co/dGaTYNlWYJ pic.twitter.com/eUxCrLmRTR
— Brandel Chamblee (@chambleebrandel) May 31, 2023
Chamblee's last tweet before merger news
Chamblee’s last Tweet on record pertaining to the situation was posted on June 2 as part of a continued thread about Phil Mickelson in particular and Chamblee’s efforts to get Lefty to join the Golf Channel set to discuss on live TV the state of affairs.
By this type of “journalism” do you mean teasing the truth out of Phil Mickelson’s desultory attempt at turning Khashoggi’s murder and dismemberment into leverage? And btw, I made overtures to have a debate with him outside of LIVE FROM and he turned it down, because he no doubt… https://t.co/54WkI3n9on
— Brandel Chamblee (@chambleebrandel) June 3, 2023
Brooks Koepka offers early opinion
Now, with the golf world turned on its head, Chamblee is a popular search term.
One of the early mentions of Chamblee on social media came from LIV golfer Brooks Koepka:
Welfare Check on Chamblee
— Brooks Koepka (@BKoepka) June 6, 2023
Best Father’s Day golf gifts: Serious golfer | Gifts for less than $100 | Personzlied golf gifts
Koepka 'buried' Chamblee
The New York Post went so far as to say Koepka “buried” Chamblee with those four words.
Brooks Koepka buries Brandel Chamblee with four words after LIV Golf-PGA Tour merger https://t.co/iMcSzTBXMC pic.twitter.com/BXOSYTCI1y
— New York Post Sports (@nypostsports) June 6, 2023
Reaction
That sentiment was echoed time and again by golf fans, with variations of “Where’s Brandel?” or “How’s Brandel?” or “What’s Brandel going to do now?” flooding the zone.
Live look at Brandel Chamblee:
— Flushing It (@flushingitgolf) June 6, 2023
I don’t normally watch the golf channel, but I need to see Brandel Chamblee’s meltdown
— Kevin E. Gembel PhD (@KEGPhD) June 6, 2023
This is bigger than Waystar/Gojo. Watch them make Brandel the new CEO of the newco, like Tom Wazgans
— CutmakerJeff (@CutmakerJeff) June 6, 2023
You were wrong, Brandel! Just man up and admit it. pic.twitter.com/5C8suY1lCs
— MG Gaskin (@mgcoverz) June 6, 2023
2 people I wanna hear from today. Brandel Chamblee and Tiger Woods
— Booger (@ESPNBooger) June 6, 2023
Chamblee might want to take a Twitter break #PGATour #LIVGolf
— MTCWithMook 🎙️🎥📷 (@MTCwithMook) June 6, 2023
I have never wanted to hear from Brandel Chamblee so badly in my life.
— Jake Groninger (@Groninger61) June 6, 2023
Live look at Brandel Chamblee after PGA and LIV announce to merge together pic.twitter.com/J1XKNvKWbf
— DrunkByTheTurn (@DrunkByTheTurn_) June 6, 2023
Late Stage Predatory Dickensian Capitalism wins again..Triumph of Money over what is good and right. As a Golf fan…and Neighbor of Phil Michelson..I am Sick..Gotta upgrade the Neighborhood….Kudos to Rory..Brandel..Eamon..for standing telling the Truth..
— RichMandrake 🇺🇦 (@MandrakeRich) June 6, 2023
Phil, has Chamblee signed up for the debate yet? 😂
— Nate🐶🏈 (@NateDawgUga) June 6, 2023
🚨🗣️ Reactions to the LIV/PGA merger came in this morning from around the golf world… Some players are said to be “Disgusted, shocked & confused”. Others like Brooks Koepka tweeted asking for a “welfare check” on Brandel Chamblee. pic.twitter.com/pG5M3u9hpZ
— NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) June 6, 2023
Quick PGA/LIV reaction…
People who look really dumb:
1. Brandel
2. Rory
3. Jay Monahan
4. Tiger
5. PGA tourPeople who look really smart:
1. DJ
2. Brooks
3. Cam
4. Any PGA player who kept their mouth shut
5. Greg Norman
6. (Pif) Saudi Arabi
7. Liv tour— Liberation Of TIKTOK (@GolfingLounge) June 6, 2023
Can part of the merger agreement include firing Brandel Chamblee and Eamon Lynch?
I don’t want either of them involved with any LIV broadcasts.
— LIV Golf Nation (@LIVGolfNation) June 6, 2023
Brandel Chamblee needs to put in his termination papers tonight.
There is no "moral" way he can move forward and still work for a company that covers this tour in the future.— Rick Olson (@2puttsonly) June 6, 2023
Working on details of the settlement of the LIV Golf-PGA Tour antitrust lawsuit. All litigation (minus Patrick Reed's) is expected to be dropped shortly.
Next question: Will Patrick Reed hug it out with Brandel Chamblee?https://t.co/dBRIfkAP2H
— A.J. Perez (@byajperez) June 6, 2023
Oh Brandel, Oh Brandel my dear… @PhilMickelson @livgolf_league , I bet @chambleebrandel is deleting deleting deleting right now!!) lol 😂 #DifferentLevel 💰 pic.twitter.com/uE78BE48GB
— josh Pagan (@JoshTPagan) June 6, 2023
Just glad I’m not Brandel’s Twitter today.
— Average Dad (@VeryAvgDad) June 6, 2023
The Four Aces showing up to a PGA event and crashing brandel chamblees set.
— AJ Costilla (@aj_rib1993) June 6, 2023
We haven’t heard from Brandel and Eamon because they too busy scrubbing their social media.
— MATTWILLS (@M4ttWills) June 6, 2023
NOW, Brandel faces the same moral test he put to all players who went to LIV: will Brandel do the "moral" thing and resign, or will he instead take the Golf Channel money, much of which will now come from Saudi Arabia? @nypost @HankHaney @PhilMickelson
— Polemicist (@Hitchslap99) June 6, 2023
Phil knowing Brandel is about to have the worst day ever with the news of the tour merging with LIV pic.twitter.com/X6zNVYu249
— Paige Spiranac (@PaigeSpiranac) June 6, 2023
In hindsight, Phil going nuclear the last few days was definitely a move to make Brandel look like a fool after this announcement. https://t.co/vbFF8Jt8US
— Kevin Watterson (@kwatt) June 6, 2023
Happiest person in golf today- Zach Johnson
Most upset,butthurt person in golf today-
Brandel Chamblee— Bogey65🔋 (@Bogey65) June 6, 2023
Brandel Chamblee must be LIV id
— The New Majority (@NixonandIke) June 6, 2023
