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Chamblee takes on Tiger: Brandel, meet Bayless

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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.”

884etiger-woods-drop-15th-hole

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.

chamblee

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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Tim grew up outside of Hartford, Conn., playing most of his formative golf at Hop Meadow Country Club in the town of Simsbury. He played golf for four years at Washington & Lee University (Division-III) and now lives in Pawleys Island, S.C., and works in nearby Myrtle Beach in advertising. He's not too bad on Bermuda greens, for a Yankee. A lifelong golf addict, he cares about all facets of the game of golf, from equipment to course architecture to PGA Tour news to his own streaky short game.

138 Comments

138 Comments

  1. 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.

  2. 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

  3. 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!

  4. 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!

  5. 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 ?

  6. 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.

  7. 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.

  8. 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.

  9. ray

    Oct 22, 2013 at 12:31 am

    just another loooose impediment in the life of tiger woods

  10. 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!

  11. 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.

  12. 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).

  13. leftright

    Oct 21, 2013 at 3:26 pm

    Who is Brandel Chamblee?

  14. 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.

  15. 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.

  16. 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 ?

  17. Mike French

    Oct 21, 2013 at 1:35 pm

    Yeah, but Brandel has GREAT hair!

  18. 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.

  19. 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.

  20. 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.

  21. 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.

  22. 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.

  23. 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???

  24. 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 ?

  25. 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.

  26. 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

  27. 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.

  28. 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.

  29. 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.

  30. 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

  31. 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.

  32. 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….

  33. 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!

  34. 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.

  35. 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.

  36. 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.

  37. 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.

  38. 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.

  39. 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.

  40. 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.

  41. 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………………

  42. 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.

  43. 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.

  44. 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.

  45. 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…

  46. 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…

  47. 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.

  48. 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).

  49. 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.

  50. 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!

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19th Hole

Vincenzi’s 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open betting preview

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As the Florida swing comes to an end, the PGA Tour makes its way to Houston to play the Texas Children’s Houston Open at Memorial Park Golf Course.

This will be the fourth year that Memorial Park Golf Course will serve as the tournament host. The event did not take place in 2023, but the course hosted the event in 2020, 2021 and 2022.

Memorial Park is a par-70 layout measuring 7,432 yards and features Bermudagrass greens. Historically, the main defense for the course has been thick rough along the fairways and tightly mown runoff areas around the greens. Memorial Park has a unique setup that features three Par 5’s and five Par 3’s.

The field will consist of 132 players, with the top 65 and ties making the cut. There are some big names making the trip to Houston, including Scottie Scheffler, Wyndham Clark, Tony Finau, Will Zalatoris and Sahith Theegala.

Past Winners at Memorial Park

  • 2022: Tony Finau (-16)
  • 2021: Jason Kokrak (-10)
  • 2020: Carlos Ortiz (-13)

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 Memorial Park

Let’s take a look at several metrics for Memorial Park to determine which golfers boast top marks in each category over their last 24 rounds:

Strokes Gained: Approach

Memorial Park is a pretty tough golf course. Golfers are penalized for missing greens and face some difficult up and downs to save par. Approach will be key.

Total Strokes Gained: Approach per round in past 24 rounds:

  1. Tom Hoge (+1.30)
  2. Scottie Scheffler (+1.26)
  3. Keith Mitchell (+0.97) 
  4. Tony Finau (+0.92)
  5. Jake Knapp (+0.84)

Strokes Gained: Off the Tee

Memorial Park is a long golf course with rough that can be penal. Therefore, a combination of distance and accuracy is the best metric.

Total Strokes Gained: Off the Tee per round in past 24 rounds:

  1. Scottie Scheffler (+0.94)
  2. Kevin Dougherty (+0.93)
  3. Cameron Champ (+0.86)
  4. Rafael Campos (+0.84)
  5. Si Woo Kim (+0.70)

Strokes Gained Putting: Bermudagrass + Fast

The Bermudagrass greens played fairly fast the past few years in Houston. Jason Kokrak gained 8.7 strokes putting on his way to victory in 2021 and Tony Finau gained in 7.8 in 2022.

Total Strokes Gained Putting (Bermudagrass) per round past 24 rounds (min. 8 rounds):

  1. Adam Svensson (+1.27)
  2. Harry Hall (+1.01)
  3. Martin Trainer (+0.94)
  4. Taylor Montgomery (+0.88)
  5. S.H. Kim (+0.86)

Strokes Gained: Around the Green

With firm and undulating putting surfaces, holding the green on approach shots may prove to be a challenge. Memorial Park has many tightly mowed runoff areas, so golfers will have challenging up-and-down’s around the greens. Carlos Ortiz gained 5.7 strokes around the green on the way to victory in 2020.

Total Strokes Gained: Around the Green per round in past 24 rounds:

  1. Mackenzie Hughes (+0.76)
  2. S.H. Kim (+0.68)
  3. Scottie Scheffler (+0.64)
  4. Jorge Campillo (+0.62)
  5. Jason Day (+0.60)

Strokes Gained: Long and Difficult

Memorial Park is a long and difficult golf course. This statistic will incorporate players who’ve had success on these types of tracks in the past. 

Total Strokes Gained: Long and Difficult in past 24 rounds:

  1. Scottie Scheffler (+2.45)
  2. Ben Griffin (+1.75)
  3. Will Zalatoris (+1.73)
  4. Ben Taylor (+1.53)
  5. Tony Finau (+1.42)

Course History

Here are the players who have performed the most consistently at Memorial Park. 

Strokes Gained Total at Memorial Park past 12 rounds:

  1. Tyson Alexander (+3.65)
  2. Ben Taylor (+3.40)
  3. Tony Finau (+2.37)
  4. Joel Dahmen (+2.25)
  5. Patton Kizzire (+2.16)

Statistical Model

Below, I’ve reported overall model rankings using a combination of the five key statistical categories previously discussed.

These rankings are comprised of SG: App (24%) SG: OTT (24%); SG: Putting Bermudagrass/Fast (13%); SG: Long and Difficult (13%); SG: ARG (13%) and Course History (13%)

  1. Scottie Scheffler
  2. Wyndham Clark
  3. Tony Finau
  4. Joel Dahmen
  5. Stephan Jaeger 
  6. Aaron Rai
  7. Sahith Theegala
  8. Keith Mitchell 
  9. Jhonnatan Vegas
  10. Jason Day
  11. Kurt Kitayama
  12. Alex Noren
  13. Will Zalatoris
  14. Si Woo Kim
  15. Adam Long

2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open Picks

Will Zalatoris +2000 (Caesars)

Scottie Scheffler will undoubtedly be difficult to beat this week, so I’m starting my card with someone who I believe has the talent to beat him if he doesn’t have his best stuff.

Will Zalatoris missed the cut at the PLAYERS, but still managed to gain strokes on approach while doing so. In an unpredictable event with extreme variance, I don’t believe it would be wise to discount Zalatoris based on that performance. Prior to The PLAYERS, the 27-year-old finished T13, T2 and T4 in his previous three starts.

Zalatoris plays his best golf on long and difficult golf courses. In his past 24 rounds, he ranks 3rd in the category, but the eye test also tells a similar story. He’s contended at major championships and elevated events in the best of fields with tough scoring conditions.  The Texas resident should be a perfect fit at Memorial Park Golf Club.

Alex Noren +4500 (FanDuel)

Alex Noren has been quietly playing some of his best golf of the last half decade this season. The 41-year-old is coming off back-to-back top-20 finishes in Florida including a T9 at The PLAYERS in his most recent start.

In his past 24 rounds, Noren ranks 21st in the field in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, 30th in Strokes Gained: Around the Green, 25th in Strokes Gained: Total on long and difficult courses and 21st in Strokes Gained: Putting on fast Bermudagrass greens.

In addition to his strong recent play, the Swede also has played well at Memorial Park. In 2022, Noren finished T4 at the event, gaining 2.2 strokes off the tee and 7.0 strokes on approach for the week. In his two starts at the course, he’s gained an average of .6 strokes per round on the field, indicating he is comfortable on these greens.

Noren has been due for a win for what feels like an eternity, but Memorial Park may be the course that suits him well enough for him to finally get his elusive first PGA Tour victory.

Mackenzie Hughes +8000 (FanDuel)

Mackenzie Hughes found himself deep into contention at last week’s Valspar Championship before faltering late and finishing in a tie for 3rd place. While he would have loved to win the event, it’s hard to see the performance as anything other than an overwhelming positive sign for the Canadian.

Hughes has played great golf at Memorial Park in the past. He finished T7 in 2020, T29 in 2021 and T16 in 2022. The course fit seems to be quite strong for Hughes. He’s added distance off the tee in the past year or and ranks 8th in the field for apex height, which will be a key factor when hitting into Memorial Park’s elevated greens with steep run-off areas.

In his past 24 rounds, Hughes is the best player in the field in Strokes Gained: Around the Greens. The ability to scramble at this course will be extremely important. I believe Hughes can build off of his strong finish last week and contend once again to cement himself as a President’s Cup consideration.

Akshay Bhatia +8000 (FanDuel)

Akshay Bhatia played well last week at the Valspar and seemed to be in total control of his golf ball. He finished in a tie for 17th and shot an impressive -3 on a difficult Sunday. After struggling Thursday, Akshay shot 68-70-68 in his next three rounds.

Thus far, Bhatia has played better at easier courses, but his success at Copperhead may be due to his game maturing. The 22-year-old has enormous potential and the raw talent to be one of the best players in the world when he figures it all out.

Bhatia is a high upside play with superstar qualities and may just take the leap forward to the next stage of his career in the coming months.

Cameron Champ +12000 (FanDuel)

Cameron Champ is a player I often target in the outright betting market due to his “boom-or-bust” nature. It’s hard to think of a player in recent history with three PGA Tour wins who’s been as inconsistent as Champ has over the course of his career.

Despite the erratic play, Cam Champ simply knows how to win. He’s won in 2018, 2019 and 2021, so I feel he’s due for a win at some point this season. The former Texas A&M product should be comfortable in Texas and last week he showed us that his game is in a pretty decent spot.

Over his past 24 rounds, Champ ranks 3rd in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee and 30th in Strokes Gained: Total on long and difficult courses. Given his ability to spike at any given time, Memorial Park is a good golf course to target Champ on at triple digit odds.

Robert MacIntyre +12000 (FanDuel)

The challenge this week is finding players who can possibly beat Scottie Scheffler while also not dumping an enormous amount of money into an event that has a player at the top that looks extremely dangerous. Enter McIntyre, who’s another boom-or-bust type player who has the ceiling to compete with anyone when his game is clicking on all cylinders.

In his past 24 rounds, MacIntyre ranks 16th in the field in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, 17th in Strokes Gained: Around the Green and 10th in Strokes Gained: Total on long and difficult courses.

MacIntyre’s PGA Tour season has gotten off to a slow start, but he finished T6 in Mexico, which is a course where players will hit driver on the majority of their tee shots, which is what we will see at Memorial Park. Texas can also get quite windy, which should suit MacIntyre. Last July, the Scot went toe to toe with Rory McIlroy at the Scottish Open before a narrow defeat. It would take a similar heroic effort to compete with Scheffler this year in Houston.

Ryan Moore +15000 (FanDuel)

Ryan Moore’s iron play has been absolutely unconscious over his past few starts. At The PLAYERS Championship in a loaded field, he gained 6.1 strokes on approach and last week at Copperhead, he gained 9.0 strokes on approach.

It’s been a rough handful of years on Tour for the 41-year-old, but he is still a five-time winner on the PGA Tour who’s young enough for a career resurgence. Moore has chronic deterioration in a costovertebral joint that connects the rib to the spine, but has been getting more consistent of late, which is hopefully a sign that he is getting healthy.

Veterans have been contending in 2024 and I believe taking a flier on a proven Tour play who’s shown signs of life is a wise move at Memorial Park.

 

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Opinion & Analysis

Ryan: Why the race to get better at golf might be doing more harm than good

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B.F. Skinner was one of the most important psychologists of the 20th century, developing the foundation of the development of reinforcement, and in doing so, creating the concept of behaviorism. In simple terms, this means that we are conditioned by our habits. In practical terms, it explains the divide between the few and far between elite instructors and college coaches.

To understand the application, let’s quickly review one of B.F. Skinner’s most important experiments; superstitions in the formation of behavior by pigeons. In this experiment, food was dispensed to pigeons at random intervals. Soon, according to Skinner, the pigeons began to associate whatever action they were doing at the time of the food being dispensed. According to Skinner, this conditioned that response and soon, they simply haphazardly repeated the action, failing to distinguish between cause and correlation (and in the meantime, looking really funny!).

Now, this is simply the best way to describe the actions of most every women’s college golf coach and too many instructors in America. They see something work, get positive feedback and then become conditioned to give the feedback, more and more, regardless of if it works (this is also why tips from your buddies never work!).

Go to a college event, particularly a women’s one, and you will see coaches running all over the place. Like the pigeons in the experiment, they have been conditioned into a codependent relationship with their players in which they believe their words and actions, can transform a round of golf. It is simply hilarious while being equally perturbing

In junior golf, it’s everywhere. Junior golf academies make a living selling parents that a hysterical coach and over-coaching are essential ingredients in your child’s success.

Let’s be clear, no one of any intellect has any real interest in golf — because it’s not that interesting. The people left, including most coaches and instructors, carve out a small fiefdom, usually on the corner of the range, where they use the illusion of competency to pray on people. In simple terms, they baffle people with the bullshit of pseudo-science that they can make you better, after just one more lesson.

The reality is that life is an impromptu game. The world of golf, business, and school have a message that the goal is being right. This, of course, is bad advice, being right in your own mind is easy, trying to push your ideas on others is hard. As a result, it is not surprising that the divorce rate among golf professionals and their instructors is 100 percent. The transfer rate among college players continues to soar, and too many courses have a guy peddling nefarious science to good people. In fact, we do at my course!

The question is, what impact does all this have on college-age and younger kids? At this point, we honestly don’t know. However, I am going to go out on a limb and say it isn’t good.

Soren Kierkegaard once quipped “I saw it for what it is, and I laughed.” The actions of most coaches and instructors in America are laughable. The problem is that I am not laughing because they are doing damage to kids, as well as driving good people away from this game.

The fact is that golfers don’t need more tips, secrets, or lessons. They need to be presented with a better understanding of the key elements of golf. With this understanding, they can then start to frame which information makes sense and what doesn’t. This will emancipate them and allow them to take charge of their own development.

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19th Hole

Vincenzi’s 2024 Valspar Championship betting preview: Elite ballstrikers to thrive at Copperhead

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The PGA TOUR will stay in Florida this week for the 2024 Valspar Championship.

The Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort is a par 71 measuring 7,340 yards and features Bermudagrass greens overseeded with POA. Infamous for its difficulty, the track will be a tough test for golfers as trouble lurks all over the place. Holes 16, 17 and 18 — also known as the “Snake Pit” — make up one of the toughest three-hole stretches in golf and should lead to a captivating finish on Sunday.

The field is comprised of 156 golfers teeing it up. The field this week is solid and is a major improvement over last year’s field that felt the impact of players skipping due to a handful of “signature events” in a short span of time. 

Past Winners at Valspar Championship

  • 2023: Taylor Moore (-10)
  • 2022: Sam Burns (-17)
  • 2021: Sam Burns (-17)
  • 2019: Paul Casey (-8)
  • 2018: Paul Casey (-10)
  • 2017: Adam Hadwin (-14)
  • 2016: Charl Schwartzel (-7)
  • 2015: Jordan Spieth (-10)

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 Copperhead

1. Strokes Gained: Approach

Strokes Gained: Approach grades out as the most important statistic once again this week. Copperhead really can’t be overpowered and is a second-shot golf course.

Total SG: Approach Over Past 24 Rounds (per round)

  1. Tony Finau (+.90)
  2. Nick Taylor (+.81)
  3. Justin Thomas (+.77)
  4. Greyson Sigg (+.69)
  5. Christiaan Bezuidenhout (+.67)

2. Good Drive %

The long hitters can be a bit limited here due to the tree-lined fairways and penal rough. Playing from the fairways will be important, but laying back too far will cause some difficult approaches with firm greens that may not hold shots from long irons.

Golfers who have a good balance of distance and accuracy have the best chance this week.

Good Drive % Over Past 24 Rounds

  1. Brice Garnett (+91.3%) 
  2. Zach Johnson (+91.1%)
  3. Sam Ryder (+90.5%)
  4. Ryan Moore (+90.4%)
  5. Aaron Rai (+89.7%)

3. Strokes Gained: Ball Striking

Adding ball-striking puts even more of a premium on tee-to-green prowess in the statistical model this week. Golfers who rank highly in ball-striking are in total control of the golf ball which is exceedingly important at Copperhead.

SG: Ball Striking Over Past 24 Rounds:

  1. Xander Schauffele (+1.32)
  2. Keith Mitchell (+1.29)
  3. Tony Finau (+1.24)
  4. Cameron Young (+1.17) 
  5. Doug Ghim (+.95)

4. Bogey Avoidance

With the conditions likely to be difficult, avoiding bogeys will be crucial this week. In a challenging event like the Valspar, oftentimes the golfer who is best at avoiding mistakes ends up on top.

Gritty golfers who can grind out difficult pars have a much better chance in an event like this than a low-scoring birdie-fest.

Bogey Avoidance Over Past 24 Rounds

  1. Brice Garnett (+9.0)
  2. Xander Schauffele (+9.3)
  3. Austin Cook (+9.7) 
  4. Chesson Hadley (+10.0)
  5. Greyson Sigg (+10.2)

5. Strokes Gained: Total in Difficult Conditions

Conditions will be tough this week at Copperhead. I am looking for golfers who can rise to the occasion if the course plays as difficult as it has in the past.

Strokes Gained: Total in Difficult Conditions Over Past 24 rounds

  1. Xander Schauffele (+1,71) 
  2. Min Woo Lee (+1.39)
  3. Cameron Young (+1.27)
  4. Jordan Spieth (+1.08)
  5. Justin Suh (+.94)

6. Course History

That statistic will tell us which players have played well at Copperhead in the past.

Course History Over Past 24 rounds

  1. Patrick Cantlay (+3.75) 
  2. Sam Burns (+2.49)
  3. Davis Riley (+2.33)
  4. Matt NeSmith (+2.22)
  5. Jordan Spieth (+2.04)

The Valspar Championship Model Rankings

Below, I’ve compiled overall model rankings using a combination of the five key statistical categories previously discussed — SG: Approach (27%), Good Drive % (15%), SG: BS (20%), Bogeys Avoided (13%), Course History (13%) Strokes Gained: Total in Difficult Conditions (12%).

  1. Xander Schauffele
  2. Doug Ghim
  3. Victor Perez
  4. Greyson Sigg
  5. Ryan Moore
  6. Tony Finau
  7. Justin Thomas
  8. Sam Ryder
  9. Sam Burns
  10. Lucas Glover

2024 Valspar Championship Picks

Justin Thomas +1400 (DraftKings)

Justin Thomas will be disappointed with his finish at last week’s PLAYERS Championship, as the past champion missed the cut despite being in some decent form heading into the event. Despite the missed cut, JT hit the ball really well. In his two rounds, the two-time major champion led the field in Strokes Gained: Approach per round.

Thomas has been up and down this season. He’s missed the cut in two “signature events” but also has finishes of T12 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, T12 at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, T6 at the Pebble Beach AT&T Pro-Am and T3 at the American Express. In his past 24 rounds, he ranks 3rd in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach and 6th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking in the field.

Thomas loves Copperhead. In his last three tries at the course, he’s finished T13, T3 and T10. Thomas would have loved to get a win at a big event early in the season, but avoidable mistakes and a balky putter have cost him dearly. I believe a trip to a course he loves in a field he should be able to capitalize on is the right recipe for JT to right the ship.

Christiaan Bezuidenhout +6000 (FanDuel)

Christiaan Bezuidenhout is playing spectacular golf in the 2024 season. He finished 2nd at the American Express, T20 at Pebble Beach and T24 at the Genesis Invitational before finishing T13 at last week’s PLAYERS Championship.

In his past 24 rounds, the South African ranks 3rd in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach and 26th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking. Bezuidenhout managed to work his way around TPC Sawgrass last week with minimal damage. He only made five bogeys in the entire week, which is a great sign heading into a difficult Copperhead this week.

Bezuidenhout is winless in his PGA Tour career, but certainly has the talent to win on Tour. His recent iron play tells me that this week could be a breakthrough for the 35-year-old who has eyes on the President’s Cup.

Doug Ghim +8000 (FanDuel)

Doug Ghim has finished in the top-16 of his past five starts. Most recently, Ghim finished T16 at The PLAYERS Championship in a loaded field.

In his past 24 rounds, Ghim ranks 8th in Strokes Gained: Approach and 5th in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking. In terms of his fit for Copperhead, the 27-year-old ranks 12th in Bogey Avoidance and 7th in Strokes Gained: Total in Difficult Conditions, making him a great fit for the course.

Ghim has yet to win on Tour, but at one point he was the top ranked Amateur golfer in the world and played in the 2017 Arnold Palmer Cup and 2017 Walker Cup. He then won the Ben Hogan award for the best male college golfer in 2018. He certainly has the talent, and there are signals aplenty that his talent in ready to take him to the winner’s circle on the PGA Tour.

Sepp Straka +8000 (BetRivers)

Sepp Straka is a player who’s shown he has the type of game that can translate to a difficult Florida golf course. The former Presidents Cup participant won the 2022 Honda Classic in tough conditions and should thrive with a similar test at Copperhead.

It’s been a slow 2024 for Straka, but his performance last week at the PLAYERS Championship surely provides some optimism. He gained 5.4 strokes on approach as well as 1.88 strokes off the tee. The tee-to-green game Straka showed on a course with plenty of danger demonstrates that he can stay in control of his golf ball this week.

It’s possible that the strong performance last week was an outlier, but I’m willing to bet on a proven winner in a weaker field at a great number.

Victor Perez +12000 (FanDuel)

Victor Perez is no stranger to success in professional golf. The Frenchman has three DP World Tour wins including a Rolex Series event. He won the 2019 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, as well as the 2023 Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, which are some big events.

Perez earned his PGA Tour card this season and enters the week playing some fantastic golf. He finished in a tie for 16th in Florida at the Cognizant Classic and then tied for third in his most recent start at the Puerto Rico Open.

In his past 24 rounds in the field, Perez ranks 11th in Strokes Gained: Approach, 1oth in Strokes Gained: Ball Striking, 6th in Good Drive % and 15th in Bogey Avoidance.

Perez comes in as a perfect fit for Copperhead and offers serious value at triple-digit odds.

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