Opinion & Analysis
Chamblee takes on Tiger: Brandel, meet Bayless
These days, the observation that sports writers and pundits seem especially eager to make waves from time to time with controversial statements or positions is hardly revolutionary. But in general, golf has been immune to those sensationalist stories that, many people agree, have far more shock value than thoughtful substance.
On Tuesday, though, former PGA Tour player-turned golf pundit Brandel Chamblee changed all that, submitting a story to GOLF Magazine’s Golf.com that gives academic-style grades to a number of top professional golfers for the past PGA Tour season. Naturally, all of 2013’s major champions received grades of A or A+—or, in Jason Dufner’s case, an emphatic “A++” for not only his PGA Championship victory but his particularly attractive wife, Amanda. Nothing too controversial there.
With respect to top-ranked Tiger Woods, however, Chamblee went in a different direction. Instead of praising Woods’ five Tour wins this year, the winner of the 1998 Greater Vancouver Open focused on Woods’ three high-profile brushes with the Rules of Golf during the season: his improper (and quirkily non-disqualifying) drop at the Masters, another much-discussed drop at the PLAYERS Championship and a penalty he incurred when his ball moved while he removed a loose impediment at the BMW Championship. Chamblee gives Woods a grade of “F” because he, “how shall we say this…was a little cavalier with the rules.”
Above: Woods’ improper drop on the 15th hole in the second round of the Masters was one of the biggest golf stories of 2013.
Chamblee does a bit of semantic gymnastics here, but there is little doubt what he is getting at: Tiger Woods is—or, at least in 2013, has been—a cheater on the golf course.
The former standout University of Texas golfer has long been critical of many aspects of Woods’ career and life, from his changes in coaches to dressing Woods down in the wake of his 2009 personal scandal. But accusing one of the best players to ever pick up a golf club is an altogether different form of criticism. It may even be slander, if Woods’ agent Mark Steinberg’s comments Friday are to be taken seriously.
“I’m not one for hyperbole, but this is absolutely disgusting,” Steinberg said. “Calling him a cheater? I’ll be shocked, stunned if something is not done about this. Something has to be done.”
Mirroring Chamblee’s indirect articulation of his own opinion, the “something” Steinberg refers to is obviously legal action.
This is a level of media drama to which the golf is largely unaccustomed. Granted, Johnny Miller has said some silly things about other players (Craig Parry, anyone?), but is not remotely in Chamblee’s league after Tuesday’s article.
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Other sports, though, have their fair share of media personalities, never to be confused with journalists , who are prone to overstatement that prompts a tornado of negative reaction. The best current example of this phenomenon is Skip Bayless, a former major newspaper sports columnist and current professional sports talking head for ESPN. After more than three decades as a print journalist, Bayless transitioned full-time to television work in 2007. He has scarcely looked back.
From an unsubstantiated allegation about Troy Aikman’s sexuality in a 1989 book to his current, seemingly unending and increasingly absurd defense of the greatness of Tim Tebow, Bayless is unafraid of making statements that seem less concerned with deep analysis than emotion and pot-stirring potential. And like Chamblee, Bayless has also been threatened, albeit indirectly, with legal action over comments he has made. In 2012, Bayless opined on New York Yankees great Derek Jeter injury-plagued season in a way that juxtaposed the specter of steroid use with the superstar shortstop. Jeter’s response contained similar allusions to potential legal action.
Does this episode mark a stepping-stone on golf’s journey toward more widespread relevance in the sports world? Does this constitute a partial removal of golf’s proper-to-a-fault stereotype? Will someone step up and become a Stephen A. Smith to Brandel Chamblee’s Skip Bayless?
In any case, there is little doubt what grade Chamblee will receive on his next Bayless Academy report card.
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Related articles: Chamblee sticks to his ‘F’ for Tiger, then apologizes
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19th Hole
Vincenzi’s 2024 RBC Heritage betting preview: Patrick Cantlay ready to get back inside winner’s circle
Just a two-hour drive from Augusta National, the PGA TOUR heads to Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head Island, S.C. Hilton Head Island is a golfer’s paradise and Harbour Town is one of the most beautiful and scenic courses on the PGA TOUR.
Harbour Town Golf Links is a par-71 that measures 7,121 yards and features Bermuda grass greens. A Pete Dye design, the course is heavily tree lined and features small greens and many dog legs, protecting it from “bomb-and-gauge” type golfers.
The field is loaded this week with 69 golfers with no cut. Last year was quite possibly the best field in RBC Heritage history and the event this week is yet another designated event, meaning there is a $20 million prize pool.
Most of the big names on the PGA Tour will be in attendance this week with the exceptions of Hideki Matsuyama and Viktor Hovland. Additionally, Webb Simpson, Shane Lowry, Gary Woodland and Kevin Kisner have been granted sponsors exemptions.
Past Winners at Harbour Town
- 2023: Matt Fitzpatrick (-17)
- 2022: Jordan Spieth (-13)
- 2021: Stewart Cink (-19)
- 2020: Webb Simpson (-22)
- 2019: CT Pan (-12)
- 2018: Sotoshi Kodaira (-12)
- 2017: Wesley Bryan (-13)
- 2016: Branden Grace (-9)
- 2015: Jim Furyk (-18)
In this article and going forward, I’ll be using the Rabbit Hole by Betsperts Golf data engine to develop my custom model. If you want to build your own model or check out all of the detailed stats, you can sign up using promo code: MATTVIN for 25% off any subscription package (yearly is best value).
Key Stats For Harbour Town
Let’s take a look at key metrics for Harbour Town Golf Links to determine which golfers boast top marks in each category over their past 24 rounds.
Strokes Gained: Approach
Strokes Gained: Approach is exceedingly important this week. The greens at Harbour Town are about half the size of PGA TOUR average and feature the second-smallest greens on the tour. Typical of a Pete Dye design, golfers will pay the price for missed greens.
Total SG: Approach Over Past 24 Rounds
- Scottie Scheffler (+1.27)
- Tom Hoge (+1.27)
- Corey Conners (+1.16)
- Austin Eckroat (+0.95)
- Cameron Young (+0.93)
Good Drive %
The fairways at Harbour Town are tree lined and feature many dog legs. Bombers tend to struggle at the course because it forces layups and doesn’t allow long drivers to overpower it. Accuracy is far more important than power.
Good Drive % Over Past 24 Rounds
- Brice Garnett (88.8%)
- Shane Lowry (+87.2%)
- Akshay Bhatia (+86.0%)
- Si Woo Kim (+85.8%)
- Sepp Straka (+85.1%)
Strokes Gained: Total at Pete Dye Designs
Pete Dye specialists tend to play very well at Harbour Town. Si Woo Kim, Matt Kuchar, Jim Furyk and Webb Simpson are all Pete Dye specialists who have had great success here. It is likely we see some more specialists near the top of the leaderboard this week.
SG: TOT Pete Dye per round over past 36 rounds:
- Xander Schauffele (+2.27)
- Scottie Scheffler (+2.24)
- Ludvig Aberg (+2.11)
- Brian Harman (+1.89)
- Sungjae Im (+1.58)
4. Strokes Gained: Short Game (Bermuda)
Strokes Gained: Short Game factors in both around the green and putting. With many green-side bunkers and tricky green complexes, both statistics will be important. Past winners — such as Jim Furyk, Wes Bryan and Webb Simpson — highlight how crucial the short game skill set is around Harbour Town.
SG: SG Over Past 24 Rounds
- Jordan Spieth (+1.11)
- Taylor Moore (+1.02)
- Wyndham Clark (+0.98)
- Mackenzie Hughes (+0.86)
- Andrew Putnam (+0.83)
5. Greens in Regulation %
The recipe for success at Harbour Town Golf Links is hitting fairways and greens. Missing either will prove to be consequential — golfers must be in total control of the ball to win.
Greens in Regulation % over past 24 rounds:
- Brice Garnett (+75.0%)
- Scottie Scheffler (+69.9%)
- Corey Conners (+69.0%)
- Shane Lowry (+68.3%)
- Patrick Rodgers (+67.6%)
6. Course History
Harbour Town is a course where players who have strong past results at the course always tend to pop up.
Course History over past 24 rounds:
- Patrick Cantlay (+2.34)
- Cam Davis (+2.05)
- J.T. Poston (+1.69)
- Justin Rose (+1.68)
- Tommy Fleetwood (+1.59)
The RBC Heritage Model Rankings
Below, I’ve compiled overall model rankings using a combination of the five key statistical categories previously discussed — SG: Approach (24%), Good Drives (20%), SG: SG (14%), SG: Pete Dye (14%), GIR (14%), and Course History (14%)
- Shane Lowry
- Russell Henley
- Scottie Scheffler
- Xander Schauffele
- Corey Conners
- Wyndham Clark
- Christiaan Bezuidenhout
- Matt Fitzpatrick
- Cameron Young
- Ludvig Aberg
2024 RBC Heritage Picks
Patrick Cantlay +2000 (FanDuel)
With the exception of Scottie Scheffler, the PGA Tour has yet to have any of their star players show peak form during the 2024 season. Last week, Patrick Cantlay, who I believe is a top-5 players on the PGA Tour, took one step closer to regaining the form that’s helped him win eight events on Tour since 2017.
Cantlay limped into the Masters in poor form, but figured it out at Augusta National, finishing in a tie for 20th and ranking 17th for the week in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking. The former FedEx Cup champion will now head to one of his favorite golf courses in Harbour Town, where he’s had immaculate results over the years. In his six trips to the course, he’s only finished worse than 7th one time. The other finishes include three third places (2017, 2019, 2023) and one runner-up finish (2022). In his past 36 rounds at Harbour Town, Cantlay ranks 1st in Strokes Gained: Total per round at the course by a wide margin (+2.36).
Cantlay is winless since the 2022 BMW Championship, which is far too long for a player of his caliber. With signs pointing to the 32-year-old returning to form, a “signature event” at Harbour Town is just what he needs to get back on the winning track.
Tommy Fleetwood +3000 (FanDuel)
I truly believe Tommy Fleetwood will figure out a way to win on American soil in 2024. It’s certainly been a bugaboo for him throughout his career, but he is simply too talented to go another season without winning a PGA Tour event.
At last week’s Masters Tournament, Fleetwood made a Sunday charge and ended up finishing T3 in the event, which was his best ever finish at The Masters. For the week, the Englishman ranked 8th in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach, 10th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking and 16th in Strokes Gained: Putting.
Harbour Town is a perfect layout for Fleetwood, and he’s had relative success at this Pete Dye design in the past. In his four trips to the course, he’s finished inside of the top 25 three times, with his best finish, T10, coming in 2022. The course is pretty short and can’t be overpowered, which gives an advantage to more accurate players such as Fleetwood. Tommy ranks 8th in the field in Good Drive % and should be able to plot his way along this golf course.
The win is coming for Tommy lad. I believe there’s a chance this treasure of a golf course may be the perfect one for him to finally break through on Tour.
Cameron Young +3300 (FanDuel)
Cameron Young had a solid Masters Tournament last week, which is exactly what I’m looking for in players who I anticipate playing well this week at the RBC Heritage. He finished in a tie for 9th, but never felt the pressure of contending in the event. For the week, Young ranked 6th in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee and 6th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking.
Despite being one of the longest players off the tee on the PGA Tour, Young has actually played some really good golf on shorter tracks. He finished T3 at Harbour Town in 2023 and ranks 20th in the field in Good Drive% and 16th in Greens in Regulation in his past 24 rounds. He also has strong finishes at other shorter courses that can take driver out of a players hand such as Copperhead and PGA National.
Young is simply one of the best players on the PGA Tour in 2024, and I strongly believe has what it takes to win a PGA Tour event in the very near future.
Corey Conners +5500 (FanDuel)
Corey Conners has had a disappointing year thus far on the PGA Tour, but absolutely loves Harbour Town.
At last week’s Masters Tournament, the Canadian finished T30 but ranked 20th in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach. In his past 24 rounds, Conners ranks 3rd in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach, 3rd in Greens in Regulation % and 24th in Good Drive %.
In Conners’ last four trips to Harbour Town, his worst finish was T31, last season. He finished T4 in 2021, T12 in 2022 and ranks 8th in Strokes Gained: Total at the course over his past 36 rounds.
Conners hasn’t been contending, but his recent finishes have been encouraging as he has finished in the top-25 in each of his past three starts prior to The Masters, including an impressive T13 at The PLAYERS. His recent improvement in ball striking as well as his suitability for Harbour Town makes Conners a high upside bet this week.
Shane Lowry (+7500) (FanDuel)
When these odds were posted after Lowry was announced in the field, I have to admit I was pretty stunned. Despite not offering much win equity on the PGA Tour over the last handful of years, Shane Lowry is still a top caliber player who has the ability to rise to the top of a signature event.
Lowry struggled to score at The Masters last week, but he actually hit the ball really well. The Irishman ranked 1st for Strokes Gained: Approach on the week and 7th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking. As usual, it was the putter that let him down, as he ranked 60th in the field in Strokes Gained: Putting.
Harbour Town is most definitely one of Lowry’s favorite courses on the PGA Tour. In his six starts there, he’s finished in the top 10 three times, including third twice. Lowry is sensational at Pete Dye designs and ranks 7th in Strokes Gained: Total in his past 36 rounds on Dye tracks.
Lowry is perfect for Harbour Town. In his past 24 rounds, he ranks 5th in Strokes Gained: Approach, 2nd in Good Drive% and 5th in Green in Regulation %. If he figures it out on the greens, Shane could have his first win in America since 2015.
Lucas Glover +12000 (FanDuel)
This is one of my weekly “bet the number” plays as I strongly believe the odds are just too long for a player of Glover’s caliber. The odds have been too long on Glover for a few weeks now, but this is the first event that I can get behind the veteran being able to actually contend at.
Glover is quietly playing good golf and returning to the form he had after the understandable regression after his two massive victories at the end of 2023. He finished T20 at The Masters, which was his best ever finish at Augusta National. For the week, Lucas ranked 18th for Strokes Gained: Approach and 20th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking.
Over his past 24 rounds, Glover ranks 9th in Strokes Gained: Approach and 13th in Good Drive %. Harbour Town is a short course that the 44-year-old will be able to keep up with the top players on Tour off the tee. He’s played the course more than 20 times, with mixed results. His best finishes at Harbour Town include a T7 in 2008, but recently has a finish of T21 in 2020.
Glover has proven he can contend with the stars of the Tour on any given week, and this number is flat out disrespectful.
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The 2024 Masters offered up plenty of excitement throughout the week with Scottie Scheffler delivering when it mattered to live up to his pre-tournament favorite tag. With the year’s opening major now in the books, here are my six biggest takeaways from the 2024 Masters.
Scheffler In a League of His Own
In the most impressive way possible, Scottie Scheffler won the Masters without having his absolute best stuff. For the week, Scottie ranked 19th in Strokes Gained: Approach, which is a category the number player in the world typically dusts the rest of the field in. After a strong approach day on Thursday, the 27-year-old lost strokes to the field on approach on Friday and Saturday, before gaining on Sunday. The iron performance was more than solid, but it was an all-around game that helped Scheffler get it done around Augusta National.
For a year or more, the narrative around Scheffler has been, “With his ball striking, if he can just putt to field average, he’ll be unbeatable.” At Augusta, his ball striking came back down to earth, but his touch around the greens and ability to manage the golf course demonstrated why he is the best player on the planet right now. For the week, Scheffler ranked 1st in the field in Strokes Gained: Around the Green and 24th in Strokes Gained: Putting.
For the time being, there is a major gap between Scottie Scheffler and the second-best player in the world, whoever that may be.
The Future is Now
Ludvig Aberg went into his first back-nine at the Masters with a legitimate shot to win the tournament. When he teed it up on the treacherous 11th hole, he was one behind Scottie Scheffler, who had just stuck one to a few feet on the 9th. By the time he approached his tee shot, which was perfectly striped down the left side of the fairway, he was two behind. Unfortunately, the 24-year-old got too aggressive with his approach at the 11th and found the water, making double bogey. Ludvig rebounded nicely and finished the event in solo second place.
With the Masters now in the rearview, it’s never been more evident that Ludvig Aberg is no longer an “up-and-comer” — he has arrived. The Swede has been an integral part of a winning European Ryder Cup team and has now contended at Augusta National. With a calm demeanor, a picture-perfect swing, and a build and stature that appears as if it was built in a lab, Ludvig Aberg is already amongst the world’s best. I’d be extremely surprised if he wasn’t in the mix at next month’s PGA Championship at Valhalla.
Nostalgia Wins
I try to avoid as many cliches as possible, but there’s something about the Masters that brings out the sentimentality in me. Tiger Woods strategically making his way around Augusta National without all of the physical tools that made him arguably the most dominant athlete in the history of sports will always be riveting, regardless of what score he shoots. Woods made it interesting until a tough stretch of holes on Saturday, but he ultimately wore down, shooting 16 over for the week in difficult conditions. It’s remarkable that the 15-time major champion was able to put together a few solid rounds of golf despite barely playing any competitive golf in 2024. As long as Woods tees it up at Augusta, we will all continue to be mesmerized by it.
Verne Lundquist’s 40th and final Masters Tournament was also a must-watch aspect of the event. The iconic voice of Lundquist and his calls throughout the years still give me chills each time I hear them. Verne is an icon of the game and will be missed in future renditions of the Masters.
The Masters also brings another element that is unique to the tournament. Former champions turn back the clock to battle with the golf course again which creates some amazing stories. There are a few that stick out this year and were an absolute pleasure to witness. 61-year-old Vijay Singh made the cut for the first time since 2018 and shot a pretty incredible even-par, 72 on Sunday. 58-year-old José María Olazábal made the cut as well, reminding us why fellow Spaniard Jon Rahm sought his valuable advice prior to his Masters victory in 2022.
Regardless of who wins, the Masters always delivers.
Bryson Moves the Needle
Plenty will disagree with me on this point, but outside of Tiger Woods, and potentially Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth, no one moves the needle in golf as much as Bryson DeChambeau. The uniqueness in which Bryson approaches the game has always been fascinating, and if he gets near the top of the leaderboard at any major championship, whether it’s to root for him or against him, people are interested.
It began on Monday with a pretty bizarre story of DeChambeau using 3D-printed irons that got just got cleared for use by the USGA when the week began. It once again felt like a storyline that would only be possible with a character as eccentric as Bryson. He then raced off to a first-round lead in tough conditions, reminding the world of what made him such a great golfer to begin with. He made some mistakes on the weekend, but still finished a career best T6 at The Masters.
Bryson is more than just quirky; he is a former U.S. Amateur Champion and U.S. Open who I believe will contend for more majors in the future. I will continue to root for DeChambeau, but I’m perfectly content with the fact that plenty will root against him, and I encourage those people to do so. That’s what makes it fun.
LIV Walks Away Empty-Handed
Last year, there were a multitude of questions about LIV players coming into the year’s first major. They had played very limited tournament golf, and critics of LIV questioned whether the 54-hole events were enough to sharpen the players enough to compete against the best in the world on the biggest stage.
The results were fascinating, with LIV players all over the leaderboard. Brooks Koepka held the 36- and 54-hole lead, with Phil Mickelson and Patrick Reed finishing T2 and T4, giving LIV three golfers in the top-4 of the leaderboard.
This season, with even more time removed and with some more massive additions to the roster, the intrigue surrounding LIV players at Augusta was once again palpable. While some players, including Bryson DeChambeau, exceeded expectations, I can’t help but walk away from the Masters feeling underwhelmed by the performance of the LIV players.
Brooks Koepka finished runner-up last season and is a certified major championship killer. The 5-time major champ was never involved and simply didn’t have it at Augusta. Dustin Johnson put together a putrid performance, shooting 13 over for his two rounds, making it fair to wonder if his days of contending at major championships are over as he rapidly approaches his 40th birthday.
Jon Rahm and Joaquin Niemann were both players who were amongst the favorites this week, but Rahm was faced with the daunting duties of defending champion and Niemann proved he was still not quite ready to master the quirks of Augusta National, bleeding strokes both around and on the greens.
To be fair, when all was said and done, LIV had four players in the top twelve at The Masters. Tyrrell Hatton stormed the leaderboard early on Sunday, finishing T9 and earning himself an invite back to Augusta next season. Cam Smith and Patrick Reed put together gritty performances, which isn’t too surprising considering the fact that they both absolutely love Augusta National, but neither ever felt a real threat to win. There’s no doubt the players on LIV are good, and that’s why some encouraging leaderboard positions aren’t enough. They needed to contend.
With no players part of the storyline on Sunday, I view the first major of the year as a disappointment for LIV. The players will head into next month’s PGA Championship at Valhalla with a lot to prove.
Rory’s Struggles Continues
Rory struggling at Augusta National is no surprise at this point. The four-time major champion has now had 10 attempts to complete the career grand slam and has never had a chance to win. His T2 in 2022 was deceiving, the Northern Irishman stormed the leaderboard on Sunday, but was never in contention, and never got within three shots of the winner, Scottie Scheffler.
I didn’t expect Rory to win, but I have to admit that this year felt a bit different. McIlroy played the week prior to the Masters, which he typically doesn’t do, and finished third at the Valero Texas Open. He gained 7.56 strokes on approach and 2.0 strokes off the tee, which told me that his visit with world-renowned swing coach, Butch Harmon, after the Players Championship paid dividends.
McIlroy also approached the media quite differently. He cut his pre-tournament press conference short after only 10 minutes and seemed to be laser-focused on just playing golf.
Despite the different approach to the Masters, the results were the same. McIlroy struggled over the course of the week, finishing T22 (+4) and never sniffed a decent weekend position on the leaderboard. It’s back to the drawing board for McIlroy, and I have doubts that he will ever figure it out at Augusta.
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We’ve finally reached The Masters and excitement is at an all-time high. The world of golf has been fractured for the better part of two years, but for a week at Augusta National, all of the outside noise will disappear. All of the best players in the world will be together seeking to make history.
In addition to betting on The Masters champion. This is one of the few weeks of the year where there are so many more markets to explore, with value to be had in plenty of different categories.
Throughout this article, I’ll discuss all of my favorite props and players for the 2024 Masters.
Placement Bets:
Tony Finau Top 5 +750 (DraftKings):
I badly wanted to include Tony Finau in my outright betting selections, but I simply ran out of room on my card. Additionally, it’s slightly difficult to see him hitting the putts necessary to win the Masters on back nine on Sunday. However, I do strongly believe he will play great golf this week at Augusta National.
In his past 24 rounds, Finau ranks 4th in Strokes Gained: Approach is always amongst the best drivers of the golf ball in the game. Back in 2019, Finau had a great chance to win The Masters. I expect him to be hanging around over the weekend once again in 2024.
Gary Woodland Top 20 +550 (DraftKings), Gary Woodland to make the cut -110 (DraftKings):
Last season, Gary Woodland had his best ever finish at The Masters in his eleven tries. The 39-year-old finished T14 and played incredibly steady across all four rounds.
In Woodland’s most recent start at the Texas Children’s Houston Open, he struck the ball incredibly well. He led the field in Strokes Gained: Approach (+8.8) and Strokes Gained: Ball Striking (+10.0).
Gary has been working with Butch Harmon and absolutely flushing the ball both in tournaments and during practice.
Woodland appears to be healthy once again and in a great place physically and mentally. If he can build off his impressive performance at Augusta last year, he can place inside the top ten in 2024.
Additionally, the make the cut number on Woodland seems generous considering the number of players who miss the cut will be relatively small this week. Woodland is striking it well enough to make the cut even if he’s hindered by a balky putter once again.
Thorbjorn Olesen Top 20 +400 (FanDuel):
The Thunder Bear, Thorbjorn Olesen, made his Masters debut in 2013 and finished an incredibly impressive T6 for the week. In the two additional starts he’s made at Augusta National since then, the Dane has continued to be incredibly solid, finishing T44 and T21.
This week, Olesen heads into the week playing some good golf. He gained 3.8 strokes on approach and 5.52 strokes around the green at last week’s Valero Texas Open on his way to a strong T14 finish. Back in January, he won the Ras Al Khaimah Championship on the DP World Tour.
Olesen has the skill set to be successful at Augusta and seems primed for a good performance this week.
Top Nationalities:
Sergio Garcia Top Spanish Player +280 (DraftKings):
I believe Sergio Garcia can get into contention this week with the way he’s striking the ball in addition to his good vibes with a refurbished version of the Scotty Cameron that he used at the 1999 PGA Championship at Medinah.
I am slightly concerned about the emotional letdown he may face after losing in a playoff at LIV Miami, but I believe a veteran and former Masters champion should be able to regroup and focus on an event far more meaningful.
This is essentially a tournament head-to-head with Jon Rahm at +280. While Rahm deserves to be respected this week, the history of the lack of success of defending champions at The Masters is difficult to ignore.
Joaquin Niemann Top South American Player -230 (FanDuel):
While I hate paying this much juice, I don’t see a world in which Joaquin Niemann isn’t the top South American this week at The Masters. Joaco comes in playing better golf than anyone in the world not named Scottie Scheffler and has a serious chance to win the green jacket.
He only needs to beat two players: Emiliano Grillo and Camilo Villegas.
Tournament Head-to-Heads:
Justin Thomas -110 over Collin Morikawa
JT isn’t having his best season but is playing a lot better than he is getting credit for at the moment. In the past three months, there are only six players on the PGA Tour who have averaged 1.7 Strokes Gained: Tee to Green or better. Justin Thomas (+1.7) is one of the six and is currently tied with Rory McIlroy (+1.7).
Morikawa, on the other hand, has been extremely poor with his irons, which is incredibly uncharacteristic for him. I can’t help but feel like something is completely off with the two-time major champion.
Tony Finau -110 over Wyndham Clark
I explained in the placement section why I’m so high on Tony Finau this week. With how well he’s striking the ball, it seems as if his floor is extremely high. I’m not sure if he can make the putts to win a green jacket but I believe he will be in the mix similarly to 2019 when Tiger Woods emerged from a crowded pack of contenders.
Clark is a debutant, and while some debutants have had success at The Masters, it certainly poses a challenge. I also don’t believe Augusta National suits Clark as well as some of the other major championship venues.
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Max Homa WITB 2024 (April)
Max Homa what’s in the bag accurate as of the Masters. Driver: Titleist TSR3 (9 degrees, D1 SureFit setting) Shaft:...
Bryson DeChambeau WITB 2024 (April)
Driver: Krank Formula Fire Pro (6 degrees) Shaft: Project X HZRDUS T1100 75g 6.5 Mini driver: TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver...
Scottie Scheffler’s winning WITB: 2024 Masters
Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 (8 degrees @8.25) Buy here. Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 7 X (45 inches) 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (15 degrees) Buy...
WITB Time Machine: Danny Willett’s winning WITB, 2016 Masters
Driver: Callaway XR 16 (9 degrees) Shaft: Mitsubishi Rayon Diamana W-Series 60 X Length: 45.5 inches 3-wood: Callaway XR 16 (15 degrees) Shaft: Mitsubishi...
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Mike
Nov 15, 2013 at 2:27 pm
Hmm does anyone know what it’s like to be a golf legend? How about a golf legend with today’s nosy media coverage and how many people on the planet have access to watch golf on TV. Tiger’s still the best whether you hate him or love him.
Mike
Nov 11, 2013 at 9:28 pm
Really!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Lift clean and place should be called lift clean and cheat.
Lets face it its all about the $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$!
After playing golf for 50 years I no longer have passion for a game
ruined by fame and money. It hurts to make a comment like this
about a once great game.
Ray
Nov 14, 2013 at 4:10 am
I agree, it’s all about the money. and like you I’ve been playing for about 50 years (my first ball was the “Club Special”). Anyway, I must disagree about “a once great game”. It’s still a great game. When the $$$$ realizes it will rid itself of the Brandel Chamblees. If not, it could end up like the NBA, a great game I haven’t watched for 25 years
gabe
Nov 6, 2013 at 7:17 pm
Obviously lots of people on here are tv watchers and are caught up more in the awe of tiger woods the media created to promote golf(which it did 10 fold as the paychecks and ratings now prove), than I’m preserving the integrity of the game which arnold palmer and 99% of the players today still hold to as being the essence of what golf is. Watch the commercials of all the kids and what they kearn through golf and then say bc is wrong with his f grade. Did they learn to win at all costs? Never call a penalty on yourself when you’re the #1golfer in the world and you don’t know if you’ve dropped in the wrong spot,took an illegal drop, don’t know the difference in a ball moving or oscillating? Really tiger? Tigers name should be cheetah bcthats what he’s proving he is in every form of the word in golf and in life. Once he was assessed a penalty in the masters he signed an incorrect scorecard which is automatic dq, but he’s always been and always will be a win at all costs person and his integrity is a joke,right down to lying about what ball he’s used since the first nike he hit. Its not a shame bc has said the truth about tiger but its a shame more people in power and with a voice louder than mine isn’t demanding tiger be accountable for his deceipts and lack of integrity before he is the arod or barry bonds of golf…cheaters are cheaters no matter the tools used, break rules and you pay,unless you have a million uneducated fans supporting you and making escuses bc they cant break 100 much less know how and where to take a drop,congrats to the ones who do anddont overlook the ones like tiger who are too selfcentered and cheap to honor the code…hope#15 never comes
SEVVY
Nov 11, 2013 at 1:05 pm
Clearly a Tiger hater then?
I’m not in awe of Tiger. I love watching him play golf but that doesn’t mean I’m not ignorant of his public perception and the things he does that doesn’t help his cause.
However, the very definition of cheating is to gain an advantage. At Abu Dhabi, Tiger consulted Martin Kaymer, his playing partner, over the drop and Kaymer agreed with Woods so where is the cheating with that. At Sawgrass Tiger consulted with Casey Wittenberg, his playing partner and Wittenberg was happy with the drop so where is the cheating?
At the Masters Woods clearly took a wrong drop but he also had a referee with the group who didn’t see anything wrong. Tiger was also in contention and when his ball went into the water in the manner it did I don’t think there would have been too many pros thinking clearly. With regards to the DQ it was the decision of the Masters committee not Woods and their decision to only penalise him two shots was agreed with by the R&A.
The ball moving at the Barclays needed a high definition camera to notice so Woods could certainly be right when he says it didn’t move. My own eyes are rubbish and not as clear as a high def camera.
Woods needs to realise that, with so many people watching his every move, he needs to be whiter than white but that is far removed from him being a cheat!
Mike
Nov 1, 2013 at 12:30 pm
I literally can not stand Brandel Chamblee and i think golf channel should part ways with him and his brand of analysis. Did care for him even before the current situation.
Skip bayless is a whole other hatred of mine!
RMyers
Nov 4, 2013 at 7:26 am
Totally agree. Quote from articla above; (Does this episode mark a stepping-stone on golf’s journey toward more widespread relevance in the sports world? Does this constitute a partial removal of golf’s proper-to-a-fault stereotype? Will someone step up and become a Stephen A. Smith to Brandel Chamblee’s Skip Bayless?)
No place in golf for the kind of commentary Chamblee brings to the table. If this is where NBC (I know the article was written for Golf.com) wants to take the Golf Channel (GC has allowed similar commentary before) then I will have to seriously have to get my golf news elsewere.
RCM1301
Nov 8, 2013 at 4:13 pm
Chamblee is one of the few not afraid to call a spade a spade while others just try to sugarcoating and be politically correct. Go Chamblee!
Jim Zimmerman
Oct 31, 2013 at 11:29 am
Tiger’s remark about dropping two yards further back was more about hubris than proof of any sort of cheating. At the end of the day who wants to hit from two yards further back and implying he was tempting fate if he hit another perfect shot that hit the flagstick was more arrogance on Tiger’s part reflecting how repeatable his short game is in his mind rather than real cheating conferring him an advantage over the field. The ball moved versus the ball oscillating was another example of Tiger’s “cheating” giving him no real advantage. The only situation where Tiger gained any advantage was his drop at the Player’s and the person who said the most about that was Miller and not Chamblee. If Tiger really wants to air out the cheater charges he should go after Miller and not Chamblee, after all Chamblee is a journeyman with 5 times fewer wins in his career than Woods has wins just in the past year. Chamblee has often been criticized for going after Tiger and saying the sky is falling every time Tiger doesn’t win the next major while Miller has a real voice of authority on this issue.
OTP
Nov 4, 2013 at 11:38 am
“no advantage” ? How about the advantage of choosing not to call a penalty on yourself like the other 98% of the pros on tour would have done ?
JACKSON HOLLOWAY
Oct 28, 2013 at 8:28 am
Tiger gained absolutely no advantage by that ball “moving?” It make no difference of the stage have you ever infringed on a rule, if you say no then you can’t say you haven’t lied. That little incident should never have been brought to light, happens all the time!!!
RCM1301
Nov 8, 2013 at 4:25 pm
The rule doesn’t imply you should have gained advantage – it clearly says if you caused it to move, it is penalty. Period.
Deuce
Oct 22, 2013 at 2:56 pm
Difficult as it may be to believe there are still a couple people in the game of golf bigger than Mr. Woods. One of those is a true gentleman by the name of Arnold Palmer. The GC Morning Drive Show does NOT broadcast from the AP studio by pure happenstance. It just so happens that even though the GC is now part of NBC it was started, and still largely controlled, by Mr. Palmer. Even Tiger Woods, and his team of “legal eagles” has to have enough sense not to sue over this trivial matter. Even if they won in a court of law they most certainly would lose in the court of public opinion. BTW, how many times has Tiger won at Bay Hill? Should a legal battle ensue it might be a very long time until he gets another invite from “The King” regardless of his World Ranking.
GSark
Oct 24, 2013 at 3:28 am
Sorry to bust your bubble, but it is 2013 and there is no one bigger in the game than Tiger, like it or not. I could name quite a few guys I root for over Tiger, but don’t kid yourself, Tigers status spreads way past the game of golf in a way that Mr. Palmers does not. Whatever Tiger did or didn’t do is irrelevant to that fact.
As far as an “invite” from the “The King”… Arnold Palmers name may be on all the signs, but Tiger Woods owns Bay Hill.
As far as Brandel Chamblee.. instead of making accusations on T.V why don’t you take Tiger aside in a private room and call him a liar and a cheat to his face and see what happens.
linoze
Oct 27, 2013 at 3:23 pm
One thing I like about Tiger is his refusal to get down in the gutter with those, including BC, who rag on him.
It’s unclear to me why BC is fixated on Tiger, but it is clear to me that he is not at all contrite, notwithstanding his ‘apology’.
To me, BC is the epitome of the wanna-be athlete sports writer who is envious of the super star athlete, in terms of their skill and their wealth, especially if the athlete represents ‘the other’, whether via race or class.
Even the illustrious Ben Hogan, former caddy coming from the poor working class, suffered at the hands of envious, wanna-be scribes and pundits. So, it comes with the territory.
To his credit Tiger refuses to let it preoccupy him and keeps his eye on the prize, as Hogan learned to do later in his career.
Cavalier Rhules
Oct 30, 2013 at 9:27 pm
Tiger refuses to get down in the gutter with those who rag on him??? Are you kidding us, he jumped in the filth with both feet when he calls for the golf channel to fire BC. (OK not outright but as clear as BC called TW a cheater, 100% implied!) Its such a low class move that he doesn’t even go after the media source that BC wrote the piece for, he went for more, GC has nothing to do with Golf.com.
Not saying what BC did was right or wrong but the antics of TW and manager are not taking the high road, its a desperate effort to take a bigger swing.
Think its time for TW to realize he will get more criticism than other players, but to call for his firing is a childish at ending the fight by taking a bigger swing.
The greats typically show great class on the course as well, time to take control of his emotions and start acting more like a champion. We never saw Hogan, Palmer, or Nicklaus stoop to this level on or off the course.
Vince L
Oct 22, 2013 at 12:02 pm
ALl the Woods-luvin’ sycophants out there need to get clued in, this group thinks all is well with everything Tiger no matter what he does. Is he a cheater? Well, let’s not forget the personal foibles that generally come under the heading of “cheater” but I offer this – Woods has no moral compass, zero, zilch, nada, bupkis, NONE. He is a complete low-life both personally and professionally and in fact, foret the 3 hour meetintg that was had, if the commissioner had a single hair on his sack he would have suspended Woods for a short but significant period of time or tournaments. There si not a single other player that would have gotten away with this without at least having to attend a rules seminar. On a related note – why are the other players on TOUR not screaming long and hard about this? – here’s why – it’s because of Woods that you can play for top 25 $$$ every week, work 25 weeks a year and still keep your card and make a good living all without ever winning jack. In this regards, the rest of the tour are flaming enablers, especially the established players with nothing more to prove, are as culpable in this travesty as Woods himself.
ray
Oct 22, 2013 at 12:31 am
just another loooose impediment in the life of tiger woods
Jordan
Oct 21, 2013 at 9:37 pm
Tiger flat out cheated at the masters this year and admitted it in the press conference. He should have disqualified himself or the masters should have disqualified him. This has been going on a long time, anyone remember the Phoenix open boulder/loose impediment incident where 3 guys from the gallery moved a huge boulder and he got away with it. He cheated on his wife and almost got away with it. he has always got away with it, and this is the problem. Chamblee is a moron but he is right on this one.
Sevvy
Oct 22, 2013 at 4:36 am
Surely the point of cheating is to do something wrong with the intention of getting away with it. If he cheated at the Masters then why was he open and honest enough in his post round interview to actually state that he took the ball back a bit. Bearing in mind each group has an official with them and nothing was thought of it during play then if, as you state, he cheated then he’s not going to be stupid enough to bring it to other people’s attention thus facing potential disqualification. As for disqualifying himself are you serious, do you really believe that any other pro in Tiger’s situation would DQ themselves. Nick Faldo said he should have DQ’d himself but Faldo himself was party to a situation years back against Sandy Lyle where his approach shot to a green went through the green and was kicked back towards the green by a fan. He should have replaced the ball where it originally rested but chose not to (which was in the Rules) and took the more favourable position. Pot and kettle spring to mind.
Moving the boulder was within the Rules so he didn’t do anything wrong. It may have been against the values of the game relying on outside help but it wasn’t against the Rules and he didn’t get away with anything.
With regards to his other Rules infractions, he didn’t get away with anything either. His penalty at Abu Dhabi led him to miss the cut, his drop at the Masters almost certainly took him out of contention for the tournament (mentally more than anything) and his “oscillation” at the Barclays also cost him a two shot penalty.
Cheating on his wife has got nothing to do with his golf. Do you seriously think that Tiger is the only pro golfer who has cheated on his wife given the lifestyles they lead. So by your logic perhaps we need to start following any golfer known to have cheated on their wives to make sure they are taking correct drops!
I can clearly understand why Tiger polarises opinion. He likes to do things his way and doesn’t suffer people when it suits and there is no question he has major PR issues when it comes to people’s opinion of him.
Geoffrey
Oct 22, 2013 at 11:05 am
Outstanding thoughts… Makes perfect sense, and I like that it has nothing to do with racism, bigotry or whether Brandel is trying to personally destroy Tiger. Just logical thinking…
Kc
Oct 30, 2013 at 10:47 pm
Back to the original comment, I would think a player would only cheat to gain an advantage. So what tiger didn’t drop the ball exactly where he was suppose to. The only question we should ask is did he gain anything by dropping the ball where he did. This coincides with the penalty for the ball movement. If the ball moved 1/8 of an inch and he didn’t improve his shot, then what’s the big deal?
Cavalier Rhules
Oct 30, 2013 at 9:53 pm
Well he has done “something wrong with the intention of getting away with it.”
I would have loved to hear him say, oops, yes I moved back a yard on my drop, I recognize it was in violation of the rules and I accept the 2 stroke penalty…. and then go on and win the tournament.
As it was no one took him out of contention except for himself. Especially mentally, had he admitted error and learned something from it, he would have been able to move on guilt free, but obviously it festered!
Hunterdog
Oct 21, 2013 at 7:11 pm
Chamblee has, in effect, called one of the Tour’s most respected caddies, Joe LaCava, as well as Casey Wittenberg and his caddy cheaters as well. I guess some collateral damage is okay; anything to get Tiger. What a “gentlemen’s game” we play.
yo!
Oct 21, 2013 at 6:29 pm
Funny, I saw Balboa on cable this past weekend, and Bayless says Rocky was an over-rated boxer. Bayless and Chamblee have become their own celebrity personalities and they would not be there without fans (which is derived from the word fanatic).
leftright
Oct 21, 2013 at 3:26 pm
Who is Brandel Chamblee?
leftright
Oct 21, 2013 at 3:24 pm
Typically someone who is callous with his personal life, has adultery issues, may lie frequently or play loose with his friends does not have many friends, not unless they are into the same act, which I suspect Tiger has many who do. Character and integrity are something people used to strive for, now it’s like, what’s wrong with you bro, can’t bend the rules or let something go or tell the wife/girlfriend you are doing something else. I know Tiger early on hung around with some questionable types, NBA, MLB types and possibly they had a negative effect on him. I can see some famous guy telling Tiger, you are the man, getting some on the side is expected. You don’t owe Ellen anything. If you can cheat at life, I expect you can cheat at the rules of golf. In a friendly round someone right in front of everyone does something illegal, we know it was not purposeful and many times the rules are explained, they redrop, no harm no foul but cheating on purpose is negative energy period and if others know you do it eventually you won’t have any golfing partners. We has a guy just quit our club because he could not be trusted. In a money game with your buddies it is imperative you play by the rules. It is expected and those are the guys you look up to usually. Tiger, I believe never cheated on purpose. Chamblee might end up sucking hind teat on this one I expect. He knows he has cameras and people watching and at the Masters and Players he certainly did not do that purposely. Most people don’t know all the rules and when you have 90 Frank Hannigans at your beckoning call who will study the rules.
Bart
Oct 21, 2013 at 3:00 pm
Brindle? isn’t that a colour or something? he should go back to reading his Bible or maybe take some strong sedatives. If anyones culpable here it’s the rules authorities for turning a blind eye to any of Tigers rules breaches, so!! why don’t they?. Brandel, envy is a cruel mistress and it looks as though your career as a commentator is about as classy as your golf career was. Mike French’s comments about Brandels thatch, “Hair today, gone tomorrow” see Tigers sporting one of those new styles with a hole in the back.
OTP
Oct 21, 2013 at 1:54 pm
Here’s a test:
We’ve all inadvertently moved the ball at address or broken twigs in a tough-lie-backswing or mistakenly grounded a club attempting a shot from a hazard. It happens.
But has anyone ever even heard of Woods calling a penalty on himself when nobody was watching or would otherwise know ?
Mike French
Oct 21, 2013 at 1:35 pm
Yeah, but Brandel has GREAT hair!
Socorr65
Oct 21, 2013 at 1:29 pm
The rules of golf imposed penalties on Mr. Woods and every other golfer who infringed them in tour events during the 2013 season.
What’s the big deal, Chamblee? You don’t like his personal life? So what, it is his prowess on the course, just like everyone else on tour, that should be the basis of his grade.
The so-called sand trap in Abu Dhabi? The whole country would be a sand trap without irrigation. The drop at the Masters probably cost him the tournament. The drop at the Players’? Did you see the ball flight n actual observer with the same perspective as Roger Maltbie or David Lingmerth? The ball moving at the BMW? Were you standing over the ball in order to verify whether the movement was observable in that perspective?
If you posted your comments in print medium, you subjected yourself and your employer to a potential libel case. If you said them on the air, the case would be for slander. Fortunately for your side, not many people give a hoot about what you think.
SEVVY
Oct 21, 2013 at 12:48 pm
For me, there are only two things that are obvious from the rules infractions and Chamblee’s comments.
1) – Tiger clearly needs to improve his knowledge of the Rules of Golf. As someone who has the camera on his every move I don’t believe he was cheating but if he knew the rules better he wouldn’t be getting himself in these predicaments and then opening himself to such scrutiny that is bound to follow. The main outcome to all of this is the damage to Tiger’s reputation and I can’t believe he’s not that stupid not to see it himself. Tiger needs to do much to improve his own PR but appears to be too stubborn at times to do so.
2) – Chamblee’s is entitled to his opinion, no question about it. However, by relating a story about him cheating at school there is no question that Chamblee is indirectly calling Tiger out as a cheat but without having the gumption to do so directly.
Whether we like it or not, the Tour Pro’s knowledge of the Rules are pretty poor. Bubba Watson has admitted he knows nothing and calls for a referee every time. However there is a clear difference between not knowing the Rules and taking incorrect drops and cheating.
Buddy
Oct 21, 2013 at 12:05 pm
All you guys with your Tiger Woodies need to pull your heads out. Fact is, Tiger should have been disqualified from the Master and he should have done it himself. Had your playing partner done that in a money game with you you would have called him on it. On the PGA tour if you do that and sign and incorrect scorecard regardless of whether you meant it or not you are disqualified. The only reason Tiger wasn’t disqualified is because CBS called up the PGA tour and said “give him a two stroke penalty and let him play”. That has not happened with anyone else that’s signed an incorrect scorecard and it shouldn’t have happened with Tiger.
Tiger thinks he’s bigger than golf, not even close. I have no respect or admiration for Tiger (and I don’t think his father would proud of his actions either). He could leave the tour tomorrow and I’d never miss him.
BigJerm
Oct 21, 2013 at 11:56 am
Chamblee has had it out for Tiger since “the incident”. He has been overly outspoken against tiger for his personal issues, bashing him time and time again. I don’t watch as much golf channel because I can stand Chamblee, he’s a typical jock sniffer. Those who can’t do, criticize other that can. Whatever happened to reporting the news/scores and not interjecting your personal opinion on every story, I realize this was an article and he was not reporting the news, but he makes a negative comment or backhanded compliment every chance he gets. Get over it Napoleon.
Andrew Cooper
Oct 21, 2013 at 11:29 am
“..a little cavalier with the rules..”, I think Mr Chamblee is spot on there. We all now the instances he is referring to and, to be fair, they weren’t good for Tiger-and I say that as a big Woods fan.
OTP
Oct 21, 2013 at 11:47 am
Agree. I’m glad somebody is calling him on it. Woods has been pulling this kind of thing for years. We know it and his fellow players know it but usually don’t make it public. An exception though was Watson calling out Player in a Skins game remember ?
If not, here’s that story…….
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2194&dat=19831129&id=R6QyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=P-8FAAAAIBAJ&pg=6023,4372762
Andrew Cooper
Oct 22, 2013 at 3:29 am
Thanks for posting that, that was interesting. To be fair to Tiger he’s certainly not alone among great players who’ve had “cavalier” approach to the rules. European fans won’t like to admit it, but Seve was probably the worst, always trying to bend rules and bully officials and opponents. I think Tiger has a similiar win at all costs mentality within his dna.
MWP
Oct 20, 2013 at 11:00 pm
Clearly a lot of people have different opinions of what “cheating” actually is. and to that i ask….
does anybody remember when Brian Davis called a penalty on himself in the Harbor Town Playoff with Furyk? Hypothetically, lets say Davis didn’t know that he had just broken the rule nor was not called out on it… meaning he goes on to win….. In some respects, would that not have been cheating???
LAurent
Oct 20, 2013 at 10:37 pm
Brandel Chamblee. is a stupid S.O.B that needs to be fired from the golf channel. His attacks at tiger are out of pure jealousy and racism. he needs to be fired. giving an f to the games greatest player is definitely the clearest form of hatred. I personally dont like sergio all that much but i respect him because he is a pro golfer, hes doing things most people dream of. You can not like someone but when they are better than u at something, u respect them.
OTP
Oct 21, 2013 at 11:59 am
What I respect is your right to have an opinion, even a misguided one.
How did you derive “jealousy and racism” from this ? Wow……a little foaming and left leaning progressive aren’t we ?
rah
Oct 20, 2013 at 10:32 pm
People seem to forget that Tiger took golf to a higher level, accept it or not, if he walks away,,golf will suffer tremendously. To say he cheated is crazy!!!! Chamblee comes off as a jealous pathetic critic…. For all the Media BS Tiger went through and to bounce back the way he did, says lots about his game, His private life is his business..all these so called “Moral purist” of golf is what is going to kill this game….Golf was seen and still is viewed as a rich white old mans game until Tiger came on the scene, if not for him,lots of players would not be collecting these huge purses of late… check the numbers!!!!
Laurent
Oct 20, 2013 at 10:38 pm
preach
Geoffrey
Oct 20, 2013 at 11:56 pm
Still looks like a rich white mans sport to the vast majority… But Brandel doesn’t represent that end. I agree within everything you say but that there is a divisive nature to his comments.
David
Oct 20, 2013 at 11:24 am
Chamblee is garbage. Johnny Miller tears people up all the time, it can be done with class. Can someone give me a good reason why they don’t like TW that’s about golf? Probably not. Hey Dustin Johnson is a cheater! He grounded his club in a bunker IN a major and he said he did it on purpose! Chamblee isn’t paid to be controversial silly mouth breathers he is paid for his opinion which I have stated is garbage.
Regis Staley
Oct 21, 2013 at 12:12 pm
OK I didn’t like way back when they played that “Shootout in the Desert”, a made for TV Skins match and the club insisted that his caddie change his shorts to long pants (Tiger said he didn’t have to change). I didn’t like way back in a Ryder Cup when they were forced to pair him with Davis Love for alternate shot because Tiger refused to play anything other than his special Nike ball and Davis was the only member of the team with the swing speed to play it. I thought he could have done a better job of handling the Fuzzy controversy– Oh and I’ll never buy that “mistaken” drop at Augusta. This wasn’t a casual weekend round with his buds unless he was treating it that way
B
Oct 20, 2013 at 9:51 am
What exactly has Chamblee said that is so wrong or inaccurate? I don’t even know if it can be classified as controversial. He is spot on. How in the world can the best golfer in the world not know the rules of this game, especially ones dealing with drops and moving loose impediments? For someone who likes to make sure that everyone knows how much of a “student of the game” he is, Tiger really seems to have a problem with some of the most basic principles of the easy rules. People need to stop making excuses for Tiger, and they need to stop chastising someone who finally had the balls to stand up and say what so many others have been afraid to say and/or question, because for some reason everybody in the media is scared of Tiger.
Geoffrey
Oct 20, 2013 at 2:22 pm
Rock on B. You are dead on in your comment. Thanks for speaking intelligently and accurately
Forsbrand
Oct 20, 2013 at 4:01 pm
Spot on B! Very concisely put indeed.
naflack
Oct 20, 2013 at 5:30 pm
+1
jtopher
Oct 20, 2013 at 8:27 pm
Agreed!
Boo
Oct 20, 2013 at 9:32 pm
You are dead on, Bizzel to the chizzel!!!!
Alex
Oct 23, 2013 at 9:15 am
Quite right I have a lot of respect for what Tiger has done for the game and his achievements and when he’s on no one seems to be able to beat him however what B has said is exactly right.
He should know these things he’s been on tour since the mid 90s and played all over the globe.
The reason he got away with the Masters incident is that the TV companies and Masters committee didn’t want to lose out on ratings/ticket sales. I know this is partly for the fans who wanted to see Tiger as well but it’s not in the spirit of the game. All competitors should be treated the same.
I think whilst Chamblee could be perceived as “jealous” among other things at least he had the guts to say what other media types don’t have the courage for.
RCM1301
Nov 8, 2013 at 4:16 pm
Amen
Marc
Nov 11, 2013 at 1:01 pm
My issue with Brandel is the comments were said long ago, he was chastised and he apologized. Now, months later he figures out another way to say the same stuff and comes across as a whiny little bitch. Clearly the initial apology wasn’t sincere and may have been coerced, but he should have strapped on a set and shown a little conviction if that was the case.
Roy Robertson
Oct 20, 2013 at 8:37 am
I am a broadcast media owner. Chamblee’s tactic is and has been a carefully planned effort to make himself the product instead of the game of golf. He uses the biggest name in golf, if not sports as a dispensable tool to elevate his own status. Do not let him get away with this. If you boycott the media he uses to perpetrate this self serving agenda, his actions will have the opposite effect of his true intentions. If you boycott the advertisers that support the media that employs him he likely will be either fired, or at the very least, be forced to apologize to Tiger and the rest of the golf world, as he should. If he had attained some level of acclaim as a golfer, he would not need to re-create his fame atTiger’s expense. His personification of Tiger is slander,,pure and simple. He needs to accept his responsibility as an analyst and stop asserting his self perceived “authority” .
Geoffrey
Oct 20, 2013 at 4:50 pm
Then you could say that about every host and analyst on GC. It Is the Tiger channel. Before the wreckage they had Tiger week around his bday every year. Is it Brandel leading every conversation, or is he answering questions being asked? Isn’t it his job to give opinion and provide points of debate? Hasn’t he also said that Tiger is the most compelling, talented and enigmatic figure in sports? How do you know what his plan is? I don’t pretend to know more about broadcast media than you, but I challenge your assertions. Why is it so difficult for people to accept criticism? Why does it become slander? If the golf channel or the fans of Tiger want Brandel to stop talking about, criticizing or analyzing Tiger, then perhaps they (golf channel hosts) should lead the conversations and topics to other things. But they won’t, because good, bad or indifferent opinions of Tiger moves the needle. In my opinion, Brandel is well within his right to question.
naflack
Oct 20, 2013 at 5:30 pm
+1
Roy Robertson
Oct 21, 2013 at 9:23 am
Chamblee’s right to an opinion is not in question here. His veiled assertion of Tiger being a deliberate cheater is also not merely criticism. It is a deliberate assault on Tiger’s character and reputation as a professional golfer and can be reasonably determined that Chamblee’s slander is an attempt to financially harm Tiger. The fact that Chamblee’s is actually being paid to do this is a big problem for Chamblee. This is not mere critical opinion, it is “judgement” with the intent to harm TW,, no other excuse of his attack is acceptable. Chamblee needs to retract and apologize,,,the sooner the better.
Geoffrey
Oct 21, 2013 at 7:23 pm
I accept your points, but do wonder why he needs to retract? Do you believe that his comments carry enough weight to negatively affect Tiger’s ability to make a living? If that statement is true, than your assertion would be correct. If not, than it don’t see a reason for apologizing other than if he personally feels his comments were out of bounds. Personally, I am mature enough to form my own opinion. One that takes into account all sides. I don’t see Tiger as a cheater. I see him as human. I see him as someone who passionately believes he made the right call based on the info he had at the time of conflict. Right or wrong, i believe Tiger acted in accordance of his own moral code. That is good enough for me. In addition, I believe that the majority of the media is slow to challenge him for fear oft this type of backlash. This I find to be tragic. I do believe in a country of free speech that Chamblee’s opinions are laudable, mostly because he was asked.
Geoffrey
Oct 23, 2013 at 2:52 pm
Good call… Apology yesterday.
john daniell
Oct 21, 2013 at 12:07 pm
Of all the opinions made in this forum, Mr Robertson’s makes more sense. It is factual and unbiased and is very believable. He has pointed out Mr Chamblee’s transparency. One can only hope that the Golf Channel powers that be, deal with his unacceptable remarks…severely.
donald davis
Oct 20, 2013 at 7:28 am
The view never changes. Brandel is fun to listen to but that does not mean I agree with everything he says. He is paid to be controversal . It is hard to find fault with the most dominate golfer of his era. The critics, and Brandel is one of the few, have a hard time coming up with anything substantial to criticize the lead dog. I like the Golf Channel. I also like CNN, FOX and Al Jazzera . Listen to them all and make up your own mind.
Joe Golfer
Oct 20, 2013 at 12:40 am
Let’s hope there will be no counterpart to Chamblee like Stephen A Smith is to Skip Bayless. I say this not in defense of Chamblee. I say this because two blowhards who love the sound of their own voices is worse than one.
As for Tiger, I don’t think he intentionally cheated the rules this year, despite the quirky mishaps and violations. But I do have some reservations about him.
1. I recall an incident several years back when he had a group of about four spectators remove a very large rock off the course. It was NOT something that a player and his caddy could have moved by themselves. I realize that it was technically within the rules somehow, as the PGA deemed it a loose impediment, but it still seems IMO to be stretching the rule. I consider a loose impediment something that I can pick up and toss away, like a fallen stick from a tree. That rock had been there for ages without being moved by another golfer. It didn’t just fall there the day before that tournament. It was essentially a part of the course that every other golfer had accepted as such and had to work around. It took a group of several large men to move that heavy rock, using all their might as they hoisted it out of Tiger’s path.
Legal? Technically so apparently. Ethical? Depends on one’s opinion of ethics and integrity, but it seemed like something one sees on tv when a criminal gets off on a technicality due to a slick lawyer.
2. There was a period when Tiger was destroying everyone, and he was bombing his drives past everyone. He was winning Major after Major. He was also incredibly fit, as was noticeable by those tight-fitting mock turtleneck shirts he was always wearing at the time that showed off every ripped muscle.
Tiger had also used a Canadian physician named Anthony Galea. Galea was known as a doctor who supplied illegal PED’s such as HGH etc.
He’s been arrested and pleaded guilty of such. Baseball’s Alex ARod Rodriguez used the same doctor.
According to media reports, “In the United States, Galea was charged with drug smuggling, conspiring to lie to federal agents, unlawful possession with intent to distribute and practising medicine without a licence. On July 6, 2011, Galea pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of bringing mislabelled drugs into the United States for the purpose of treating professional athletes. As part of the plea agreement, he is required to cooperate with investigators and disclose the identities of his clients and their treatments.”
Galea isn’t even allowed to enter the United States anymore without special permission from Homeland Security.
In 2009 he was arrested for supplying human growth hormone to professional athletes. He mislabelled drugs in an attempt to deceive authorities, since the drugs he was using were illegal.
He has pleaded guilty of smuggling HGH into the US, and he is not licensed to even practice medicine in the US, though he was treating athletes at their homes in the US.
Would these athletes have performed as well without the HGH?
So how does Tiger Woods wind up calling upon this particular doctor? Of course, we have no absolute proof of any wrongdoing on Tiger’s part during that time period, and I doubt that the PGA was as diligent about drug testing, especially HGH, as sports like Major League Baseball eventually became. All this just makes me wonder why Tiger would be using the services of such a physician when there are so many other competent topnotch sports physicians available to athletes, unless there was something special that he was getting from Galea that other physicians would not supply, such as HGH.
Obviously, Woods is no longer using the services of Galea, who barely avoided a prison term. And if one looks at Woods’ physique, it is pretty obvious that he doesn’t have that same ripped shape that he had when he was using the services of the doctor known for supplying HGH to top athletes, even if we cannot prove that Woods was using.
If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s probably a duck.
Geoffrey
Oct 20, 2013 at 2:20 pm
I played in a tour proam this summer and the amazing player and person I teamed up with was very candid about what he sees and saw. Not naming names of the players discussed, but it is more rampant than people think. Especially HGH, a drug not being tested.
naflack
Oct 20, 2013 at 5:28 pm
+1
Steve
Oct 20, 2013 at 8:11 pm
Yah, I’m sure the players would be using HGH in the golf course locker room for every other player to see and are talking about it all the time. Sounds like BS. If, and it’s a big IF, these guys are on HGH, they are taking it A) at home or B) at the gym. At either place, they definitely aren’t doing it in front of everyone. They aren’t that dumb.
Geoffrey
Oct 20, 2013 at 10:28 pm
My comments were meant more euphemistically than actually “seeing people” take HGH. I am not accusing anyone of anything, merely stating that it is talked about. Of course it is a big IF, but based on the climate created by the money involved on and off the course, I think it would be naive to not question. They weren’t testing at that time for anything, and do not test for HGH now. They don’t call HGH the fountain of youth for nothing. Personally, I hope no one was or is using, but I wouldn’t be surprised. Nothing in professional sports comes as a surprise anymore. Thanks for the challenge…
Geoffrey
Oct 20, 2013 at 10:33 pm
Also, I think we have seen time and time again that professional athletes can be that dumb. How many times have we seen poor judgement, the same mistake over and over again? Athletes who don’t think the rules apply to them…
naflack
Oct 20, 2013 at 5:28 pm
+1
Jeff
Oct 20, 2013 at 12:12 am
I’m a big Tiger fan/defender. I totally disagree with Brandel, but I understand he was just using the soapbox he has to try and get Tiger Woods to pay attention to the message he wants him to hear, which is “I think you cheated/people think you cheated” I didn’t expect Steinberg’s comments so maybe Tiger is pissed. I think Brandel doesn’t think Tiger even cares about the rules violations or at least that he should care more and he wants to make an point with the column. I get both sides.
Jack
Oct 19, 2013 at 11:17 pm
Can’t believe how worked up everyone is about this. The sun will still come up tomorrow….
naflack
Oct 20, 2013 at 5:25 pm
+1
richard
Oct 19, 2013 at 10:34 pm
Brandel Chamblee has demonstrated he will stoop to any depth to gain popularity. He draws that controversy by hurting the most popular in the game. He is a bottom-feeder that profits usually at the expense of others or from their misfortune.
Sad he has a place in a game that stands for the opposite. Sad for the golf channel and golf.com for supporting him in those ideals.
Bravo to GolfWRX to stand up for the game again!
naflack
Oct 19, 2013 at 6:47 pm
in my opinion what is possibly being missed or overlooked by some purists is that this type of rhetoric is good for golf. it shows the sport is legitimately on the “map”. what is the biggest indication from a media perspective that a sport is relevant? speculation…
in fairness to brandel…do any of us know what goes on in the golf central production meetings? perhaps this is the role that brandel was asked to play. im not suggesting he isnt fully embracing the role but none the less this could be as much production as honest opinion. good or bad i appreciate his willingness, however enthusiastic to chide tiger woods when no one else appears very interested in doing so, real or produced.
Mike
Oct 19, 2013 at 6:24 pm
Lets be honest, Tiger does not love Golf, he loves to compete and win. As with every competition someone will always try to take some action to have advantage. Tiger has little integrity.
‘Integrity is a personal choice, an uncompromising and predictably consistent commitment to honour moral, ethical, spiritual and artistic values and principles.’
Geoffrey
Oct 20, 2013 at 2:16 pm
Interesting point. I think you are dead on. From everything I hear, you are pretty accurate. I have also heard from some players that Tiger is a blast to play with and great in the locker room. The truth is always somewhere in the middle. But as for integrity, I couldn’t agree more…
Steve
Oct 20, 2013 at 8:02 pm
“Tiger doesn’t love golf, he loves to compete and win”? That’s ridiculous. I’d be willing to bet he loves golf quite a bit or he could quit and play competitive checkers or something. He’s dedicated his life to this sport, botany other one. To claim he doesn’t love golf is crazy. Does he love to compete and win? Absolutely. Does he love that more than golf? Maybe, your guess is as good as mine. But I’m pretty sure he loves golf too.
Steve
Oct 20, 2013 at 8:02 pm
Not any other one* dang autocorrect
Josh
Oct 19, 2013 at 5:47 pm
The general golfing public has never played in competition so they do not understand how the groups work. When you are paired with someone the other player keeps your score, the other player is the one that is to enforce the rules of golf so that it is a fair competition for the entire field. So to call tiger a cheater is calling his playing partners cheaters as well!! Because in the middle east he consulted with Martin Kaymer before he removed his embedded ball, Kaymer said it was okay!!! At the players he asked his partner where his ball last crossed the hazard his partner said this place right here and thats where tiger droped. So how the heck are you saying it is solely tigers fault?? He did what every competitor is suppose to do, consult the playing partner if the partners cannot come to an agreement then you call in a rules official. These Rules violations were all called in after the fact. Noone saw them in real time and said nope thats wrong!! they watched a replay in slow motion from 7 different angles. Last time I checked no human being can close their eyes and replay the last thing they saw, much less spin what they saw and look at a new angle!! Oh and BC didn’t play when golf was as big as it is now!! He didn’t play with millions of people watching him!! He didn’t get paid for showing up!! he hates that he couldn’t be that guy!! he hates himself more then he hates tiger!! jealousy!!
Roy Robertson
Oct 22, 2013 at 4:32 pm
Well stated Josh. EVERYONE should read this insightful post by Josh.
Geoffrey
Oct 23, 2013 at 2:54 pm
All seems right accept the assertion that Brandel is jealous. Just don’t see how that comes to light. But your account of what actually occurs between the ropes makes perfect sense.
Monkeynaut
Oct 19, 2013 at 5:46 pm
Internet poster who never made the tour attacks former tour player with one win attacks tour player with five wins this year….
Little fish eats the bigger ones. Little fish eat the bigger ones.
Jerome
Oct 19, 2013 at 5:41 pm
Well I feel the same as many of you in that B. Chamblee has some sorta vendetta, or maybe even some type of personal issue with Tiger. It had gotten so bad that there was a while that I thought during Tigers tour of extra marital affairs that someone near to BS heart may have gotten caught up in the malay. I’m not sure of his issue with obviously someone he doesn’t even know, but he really needs to be reprimanded or in my opinion Tiger actually needs to just show up at the station un announced to sit across the mic and handle it one on one.
Conrad
Oct 19, 2013 at 3:05 pm
Tiger is definitely not a cheater… everyone makes mistakes. I would be willing to bet that there are many rule violations that are not caught every pga tournament. The difference is tiger has a camera on him at all times and the infractions are always pointed out.
Mike
Oct 19, 2013 at 2:34 pm
All this attention on these types of stories is exactly what these talentless media hacks want (I’m looking directly at you Chamblee). The best thing we can all do is move on and pay no attention to this type of “reporting”. All this is, is an attempt to stir emotion and pump up Chamblee’s fragile ego. Nothing more.
If anyone thinks Tiger is openly cheating while his every breath is being infinitely scrutinized on the course you’re just as crazy as Chamblee.
Dick Woodcock
Oct 21, 2013 at 8:25 pm
ya you’re right, i guess its just that he doesnt know the rules…try that defense next time you get pulled over for speeding.
Kyle
Oct 19, 2013 at 2:14 pm
I hope tiger walks up to chamblee and punches him in the face on national tv.
DB
Oct 19, 2013 at 2:38 pm
Then Tiger would be out 3 months with a sore hand…
Kyle
Oct 19, 2013 at 3:22 pm
Haha that is true. Would still be funny though
Ian
Oct 19, 2013 at 4:34 pm
6’1″ totally ripped Tiger punches pencil neck BC in the face… ……it’s a murder charge
Kyle
Oct 19, 2013 at 6:48 pm
Chamblee would probably say his form was off and needs a different fighting coach.
Forsbrand
Oct 20, 2013 at 5:41 am
Because that would be the right thing to do, actually I think I remember hogan doing the same to Snead………………
Jason
Oct 19, 2013 at 2:02 pm
BC had little talent on the Course and even less as a talking head. His personal feelings towards Tiger comes out every time Tiger is brought up. Hes a jealous, talentless, waste of space.
Geoffrey
Oct 20, 2013 at 2:12 pm
Completely false. Was he a top 25 talent? No… But Brandel did lead the Master in 1998, has won on the PGA tour, and was a standout at Univ Texas. Keep this civil… Opinions are enough. Fueling hate, bigotry and senseless dribble are not what these forums are for. I don’t agree with Brandel’s assessment of Tiger’s year. However, as a pro, Tiger has a responsibility to understand the rules. Did he try and cheat? No… Did he error on the side of conservative and call it in himself as most pros do? No… Somewhere in between. Brandel has every right to answer the question anyway he sees fit. That isn’t slander, just one mans opinion. This whole thing is ridiculous.
snowman
Oct 19, 2013 at 11:48 am
I actually like a lot of Brandels observations and think he is “spot-on” many times. However, he definitely has some kind of problem with Tiger and is not objective when it comes to Tiger. I don’t think Tiger is a cheater, but I think he got sloppy this year, probably assuming he was within the rules when he should have been more careful. Best example: when interviewed at the Masters he said his drop was a couple yards back to get a better yardage…. if he was trying to cheat he would not have provided that detail. Tiger does need to be less cavalier, but cheating? I think not.
Woody
Oct 19, 2013 at 11:41 am
Brandel is a hater!!! I almost think this thing is racial, and I think he is a bigot! I don’t think this guys likes the fact that a man of color is the best golfer in the world! He is jealous of his lifestyle and he wishes he was golfing and not talking about golf! he is a punk!!
Geoffrey
Oct 19, 2013 at 1:05 pm
He isn’t a hater… You need to listen more carefully to what he says. I happen to think Tiger is the most enigmatic sports figure of our time, and I enjoy watching him play more than anyone else, period. If you listen to what Brandel says, it is much the same. When the GC spends the majority of their time talking about one person, you are bound to have opinions, both good and bad. Remember, Brandel isn’t lead. He reacts to the questions asked by the host. His job is to give options and analysis to the questions asked. Is he opinionated? Yes. Do his comments border on the extreme, yes. Is he a bigot? Not even close… Don’t make the issue something more than it is…
MJ
Oct 19, 2013 at 11:12 pm
Race card has been used! Wow! Come on!
Joe Golfer
Oct 20, 2013 at 1:04 am
Yes, I was surprised by that race card thing popping up also.
And then there is the accusation of Chamblee being jealous of Tiger’s lifestyle, a punk and a “hater”. Isn’t this “hater” terminology something that went away already after grade school kids and teenagers had briefly made it popular for its’ fifteen minutes of fame.
Perhaps if we like something, we should again start saying it is “far out” and “groovy”. The terms are about as relevant today as “hater”.
Chamblee can be overbearing at times. He can be a blowhard. He can overstep his bounds with his opinions. Sometimes he has valid points, but they get overshadowed by the fact that he goes over the top in expressing them. But is he purposely doing this because he’s a bigot who doesn’t like a man of color excelling? I think not.
Let’s keep the website classy and leave the “hater!!!” and “punk!!” talk to the middle school kids.
Geoffrey
Oct 20, 2013 at 2:07 pm
Joe Golfer, well said. This isn’t about hating, bigotry or anything close. We all need to remember that golf is a sport comprised mostly of elitist right wingers where inclusion isn’t a must. I love golf with all my soul, but understand why people from the outside find it to be ridiculous. That being said, Brandel is very good at what he does. I also find his points to bombastic at times, but almost always agree with the meat of what he says. Even if I don’t always agree with the delivery. At least he bucks the status quo and says the unpopular thing. However, I would venture that he speaks for a lot of golf’s insiders who will never say how they feel about Tiger. A business colleague of mine lives in the Scottsdale area and his kids go to school with Brandel’s. He says he is an absolute gentleman. I tend to go by that in forming my opinion.
Dave Lee
Oct 20, 2013 at 7:03 pm
His ancestors had to have been slave owners.
Roy Robertson
Oct 21, 2013 at 10:30 am
Race has no place in this issue or this discussion. Anyone who thinks that race is relevant needs to check their own racial bias.
Joaquin Rodriguez
Oct 21, 2013 at 11:57 am
I wondered how many opinions I would have to read before some one played the race card. You can always tell that someone believes they are losing the argument as soon as the bring up race. He tried to cheat, got caught; end of story.
Dick Woodcock
Oct 21, 2013 at 8:19 pm
“He tried to cheat, got caught; end of story.”
i like how you sum it up there, i think we can now close this thread!
Gerald Bostock
Oct 21, 2013 at 12:47 pm
You think this is racial, that is really an idiotic statement since Tiger is Black, White, Asian and American Indian so which ethnic group does BC have an issue with? He either cheats or he has a case of ignorant bliss at times, he is supposed to know the rules and follow them. I dont care for BC but he is entitled to his opinion and on this, he is right
Barry Goodman
Oct 21, 2013 at 4:06 pm
Really, the Racial Card?
Let it go.
I think we are all past that.
Brandel is a guy who played the tour. If anyone has a wright to comment on the tour and people playing it, it is someone with first hand experience. The number of wins doesn’t make you smarter or more of an expert.
PS …. Neither Jack nor Arnie have ever been penalized for wrong drops or signing wrong cards etc.
Both Very Honorable Men, who Honor the Game and the rules.
Josh
Oct 19, 2013 at 11:02 am
I think everyone is confusing a rules violation with cheating. Cheating would be breaking the rules intentionally and GETTING AWAY WITH IT. Tiger had rules violations and penalties were imposed. It’s just like committing pass interference in football and receiving a penalty. No one is calling those defensive backs cheaters.
Barry Goodman
Oct 21, 2013 at 3:52 pm
Tiger, even after seeing the ball move in a video clip, still wouldn’t admit he was wrong???
This is typical of his arrogance. He never says he was wrong , played poorly or hit a bad shot, etc.
Here is a guy who has been playing the Honorable game of golf since he was about two years of age, playing compedativly sence he was about 6 or seven, and doesn’t know the rules?
He should have been disqualified at the masters for signing the wrong card, he was alloud to continue to play?
They change the rules for him? If it was Joe average they would have been gone!
Years earlier in his carreer they allow a group of spectators/fans to move a massive bolder for him to have clear shot at the green, and called it loose impediment? Really!
The rules are there to protect the field, make it equal for everyone! No one else would have had that advantage.
In a major, he hits a ball into the woods (I believe it was 17@ the PGA) there had to be a count of 4 seconds and miraculously, his ball comes screaming out of the forest to an area where he had a clear shot to the green and made birdy to win!
It was a Major!
No one is above the rules. Golf is an honorable game where the rules are mostly self administered and for a guy who believes he is never wrong even when looking at a video clip of the wrong doing, is not honorable and connot be trusted.
It makes me wonder how many times it may have happened in the past, and went unmentioned.
SHAME ON HIM!
TMTC
Dick Woodcock
Oct 21, 2013 at 8:15 pm
he TRIED to get away with it, and still denied after he was caught. guess thats not the same as cheating. if i did that on a regular basis, my buds wouldnt buy me anymore beers…
Geoffrey
Oct 19, 2013 at 10:52 am
I don’t think brandel has a beef with Tiger. The amount of time spent on air talking about Tiger is exponentially greater than every other player. You could ay that every person on the golf channel is infatuated with Tiger. He gives his opinion, which most don’t like to hear. Kudos to Brandel for saying what he thinks. Brandel also has said that Tiger is the most compelling golfer to watch, the most talented, and that the constant swing changes rob golf fans of periods of time when we. Would see him chasing the records. I don’t have a opinion on any of it. Just stating the facts…
Jabrch
Oct 19, 2013 at 10:16 am
Chamblee clearly has a personal issue with TW – he keeps going at him every chance he has.
That said, you can’t argue the facts of the matter. In BIG events, he had three different rules violations when he had to know better…or at least should have known better.
That makes him a cheater.
Harvey
Oct 19, 2013 at 10:33 am
I agree.. Most of the time there is a referee on hand so why don’t they check his drops like they do with seemingly every other player on tour. Still, he should know better!
Headonastick
Oct 19, 2013 at 4:25 pm
Actually, it doesn’t make him a cheater. Not knowing the rules is a far cry from actually choosing to break the rules to gain an advantage.
They don’t check the drops of every other player on tour – which is one of the inequities in how the rules are enforced on tour. Tiger is far more scrutinized than most of his colleagues.
MWP
Oct 20, 2013 at 10:54 pm
In golf, all players are expected to know and enforce the rules upon themselves. The irresponsibility it takes to not know the rules IS cheating if you ask me. And if it isn’t, then it AT LEAST is a disgrace to the game.
a golfer
Oct 20, 2013 at 11:07 pm
also, how do you know he didn’t knowingly break the rules? because he says he didn’t?
haha because that wouldn’t be a very good reason.
Steele Staff
Oct 22, 2013 at 12:35 pm
You have to be a Philadelphia Lawyer to know every rule. They go to school for weeks at a time to learn the rule book.
melrosegod
Oct 19, 2013 at 6:00 pm
Well said. I like that Chamblee brought up Tiger’s lack of integrity. It’s is too bad he goes over the top and his message is lost.
truthhurts
Oct 19, 2013 at 9:52 am
Im a firm believer everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Threatening people who state their opinion with legal action is just another form of bullying. Who cares about hurting the marketing value of your athlete or you as a particular. Just because your famous or your star client gives you no rights whatsoever. You make a hell of a lot more money than a lot of other people in this world so play your sport, do your job, and shut up.
Larry Sherer
Oct 19, 2013 at 4:11 pm
There is a time when opinions can become down right attacks on people…and Mr. Chamblee has crossed that line more then once with TIger. I would agree with so many people watching the Golf Channel far to many of the has been’s they use for commentaries need to have their opinions kept to themselves.
GSark
Oct 19, 2013 at 6:07 pm
You are wrong, dead wrong. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion,yes, where you are wrong is that you are not entitled or allowed to state that opinion in a public forum when it is of a slanderous or accusatory nature(i.e. You can’t go around and call a person a cheat or a liar, I checked the law books on that one.) Tiger may or may not chose to sue Bramble, but he has grounds. But moreover Bramble Chamblee is like a tea cup poodle behind a fence barking at a Rotweiler. He’s a coward. Hey Bramble, instead of airing your brain flatulence in public, why don’t you go somewhere private and call him a liar and a cheat to his face?
And that goes to all of you.
Dave
Oct 20, 2013 at 11:03 pm
Well said Sir! Love the analogy, say it to his face when there aren’t any cameras around and take your beating like a man… Brandel Chamblee, what a pretentious name. Wonder what he’s compensating for?
Thom Jarvis
Oct 21, 2013 at 12:54 pm
You Tiger Lovers make me sick. Your heads are so far up his ‘you-know-what’ that you can’t see reality and wouldn’t know the truth if you were looking at it. Congrats to Brandell for speaking his mind and Yes he is entitled to say what he thinks!!! And I agree with Him….. Tiger is just another one of those that thinks the world revolved around him.
GSark
Oct 24, 2013 at 2:48 am
Yeah I feel the same way about ignorance. It case you live under a rock I will inform you that the GOLF WORLD does revolve around Tiger Woods. As far as the rest of the world Tiger Woods IS Golf, they Know nothing of the game, it’s rules, but they ALL know who Tiger Woods is. Those are the facts, Like them or not. It is ignorant to think that a person achieved that status by thinking of himself as an average Joe. This is a GAME! A symptom of ignorance is the belief that you can use criticism and bring those who are above you down to your level(can’t write a book? Oh I know I’ll be a book critic). Remember, stupidity is forever, ignorance can be fixed.
Dick Woodcock
Oct 21, 2013 at 7:58 pm
tiger cheated plain and simple and caught on tv 3 times this year that we know of. there i said it and dont care if the tiger suck fans dont like it. fact of the matter is he doesnt need to cheat to win, maybe his best days are behind him and he knows it.
who would defend this kind of blatant rules abuse anyway? and dont tell me he doesnt know or understand the rules, please.
He's a crumb.....
Oct 20, 2013 at 10:07 pm
It’s who and how he chooses to write about. He has a passion for picking at certain people and crossing the line, calling someone a “cheater” in golf IMO is a very bold statement…
Rascal
Oct 21, 2013 at 11:50 am
Chamblee did not use the word “cheater”. Those words came from Steinberg (who is Woods agent).
rouski
Oct 19, 2013 at 9:45 am
Maybe they’ll finally get this idiot off the golf channel now. HIm of all people sits there and criticizes every player based on their swing, coach, attire, attitude, etc. and it’s quite annoying.
Joe
Oct 20, 2013 at 1:02 am
Really is. It’s like the CNN for golf now.
Forsbrand
Oct 20, 2013 at 5:39 am
What for having a correct view on woods not quite playing by the rules of golf that all golfers should adhere to? Well done Chamblee for putting his neck on the block! Some of you guys are so blinkered, I appreciate it’s hard for you given woods has won so much, but comeon, if he had done similar in your fourball whilst playing for money you’d have pulled him up on it right?
steve
Oct 20, 2013 at 3:14 pm
lol, really?
MWP
Oct 20, 2013 at 5:43 pm
Couldn’t agree with you more. He said what nobody else had the guts to. But for me, its not even about if he is a “cheater” or not…. its about the fact that for some reason he doesn’t follow the rules. We don’t know if it is because he intentionally cheated or because he simply doesn’t know the rules… and quiet frankly I’m not sure which one is worse.
Dave
Oct 20, 2013 at 10:57 pm
Forsbrand, are you saying Tiger cheated his way to his record on Tour, USGA Amateur championships and so on? Is it really possible that with all the scrutiny he’s constantly under that he could get away with all of that? I agree that he was wrong with the loose impediment situation and should’ve admitted fault when watching the footage of the ball clearly moving, but to jump to the Tiger’s a cheater level is a bit extreme. I can’t stand Brandel but here we are again talking about him (his tactics are working) again. I hope Brandel gets what’s coming to him, although Golf Channel wouldn’t let him say something on air that was even close to the legal definition of slander, they’re not that cavalier. He won’t get sued, but I do actually kind of wish harm on him – he’s not qualified to do what he does, his career on Tour was crap, he just lobs his grenades from the ivory tower of the studio.
Dick Woodcock
Oct 21, 2013 at 7:52 pm
c’mon, he isnt saying tiger cheated his way through, just that he has made some questionable moves this year, and ya, they were caught on tv. and to make things worse, the pga didnt penalize him like they would have if it were anyone else. hey, i am not a chamblee fan at all, but he’s just calling a spade a spade.
Big5Hole
Oct 19, 2013 at 9:35 am
Chamblee is the reason I won’t watch any Golf Channel coverage anymore.
I don’t have a problem with guys having issues with players or with them criticizing players for whatever reason but when it gets obviously and over the top personal the way Chamblee does with Tiger it gets old.
sam
Oct 21, 2013 at 2:42 pm
please give me Chamblee free site
Fred
Oct 21, 2013 at 6:25 pm
It’s a joke listening to the commentators on the Golf Channel who, like Chamblee, never really amounted to much on the pro tour, tell accomplished players like Tjger, Phil, Rory and others what’s wrong with their game and their life and how to improve it. It will be interesting to see how all this ends.
Bart
Oct 22, 2013 at 2:32 am
The golf channel people have been watching too many reality shows…I’ve watched since it started. Stopped a few months ago. This conflict resolution system is not for golf. Chamblee knows how to get people talking about him.
New morning show has its moments but then turns into front nine back nine debates about nothing. It’s ridiculous!!
The original crew had it down. No offence but it’s golf….not GMA…not CNN… I’ll check back from time to time…for the most part I’m out…still play the game but only watch major network broadcast.
That’s my rant….and get Chamblee off the air !!!
Steve
Oct 22, 2013 at 6:47 am
Yeah!! What He Said! Chamblee (the Chihuahua) is a non-athletic, 70’s-haircut, semi-literate hack who appears to be desperately hanging on to his less-than-stellar gig as a GC talking used-to-be. And he didn’t even ‘used-to-be’.
The Pros must just shake their heads when they hear about this drivel, and it would be nice if he came up with a different non-issue to beat his drum about. I, too, have absolutely quit watching anything with Chamblee attached. His presence sucks the IQ out of Breed and Saunders and others who are trying to sell a professional lineup.
For goodness sake, bring back the late-night ski films!