19th Hole
Brandel Chamblee: Greg Norman has stopped Cam Smith from becoming all-time great
Golf Channel’s Brandel Chamblee has been one of Greg Norman’s harshest critics since LIV came onto the golf scene.
- Related: Brandel Chamblee delivers stinging response following taunts from Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter
Back in June, Norman said “The Shark” (and Phil Mickelson) should be kicked out of the World Golf Hall of Fame due to their involvement with LIV. Norman responded by calling the statement “laughable” and accused Chamblee of being a “talking bobblehead”.
Now, in this week’s lead up to the PLAYERS Championship, Chamblee has accused Norman of ruining Cameron Smith’s legacy. While speaking on Golf Channel, Brandel said he finds it “ironic” that Norman could be the one most responsible for preventing his fellow Australian from being one of the best Aussies to ever play the game.
“It’s ironic to me that it might possibly be an Aussie that will keep another Aussie in Cameron Smith possibly from ascending to a spot where he’s considered the greatest (Australian) player of all time,” Chamblee said. “Supplanting Peter Thomson, he had that kind of talent.
“Norman didn’t get there but (Smith) could have easily supplanted Greg Norman as the second-best player of all time from Australia. That’s at least in my view where Cameron Smith was headed.
“That’s what he’s turned his back on and a lot of it has to do with Greg Norman, and Cam Smith got a lot of bad advice from his agents and other people in the game around him trying to suck him into LIV.”
Smith is the defending champion in this week’s PLAYERS Championship, and of course will be unable to participate to defend his title. Cam also got his customary reserved defending champion parking spot removed earlier this year. The charismatic Aussie lives in the area and joked earlier in the week that he may attend the event as a spectator.
Cam Smith says he might go to The Players and watch some of the action. You’ve got to love this guy, he literally gives no shits. He should try and get into the players meeting! ?
— Flushing It (@flushingitgolf) March 6, 2023
Chamblee then continued expressing disappointment in Smith’s decision.
“He had the potential to be an absolute great player,” Chamblee added. “If you look at the qualities that he had, the age that he was, he was a great scrambler, great putter, a great shot maker.
“Players like Tom Watson come to mind. At the age of 25 until 35, he had 35 wins, won eight Major championships, really hit his stride at 27, which is what Cam Smith was last year. Twenty-seven, 28, 29, five wins, five wins, five wins in each of those years. Seven wins when he was 30 years of age, these prime years.
“And when you think of Seve Ballesteros, from the time he was 22 until he was 31 he won five Majors. He set the world on fire and was fairly much the same type of player that we saw in Cameron Smith last year at St Andrews. These are exciting players – scramblers, they’re unpredictable, they break your heart and then they do monumentally unbelievable things.”
Smith can still participate in all the majors this year and presumably in the future, but Chamblee doesn’t think the 29-year-old can stay sharp while playing on the LIV Tour.
“You cannot convince me that week-in and week-out playing against the very best players in the very best competitions doesn’t make you sharper,” he said.
“Think where they are going to be a week before the Masters, typically the best players in the world in the week before the Masters go in, get a sense of how the golf course is playing and then maybe go home and practice on like conditions with like grasses.
“(LIV golfers are) going to be in Orlando at Crooked Cat, putting on grainy Bermuda (grass). It’s no way to prepare for a Major championship.”
For what it’s worth, Cam has been excellent at Augusta National. His last three starts at the Masters have resulted in a 3rd, 10th, and 2nd place finish.
More from the 19th Hole
- Pat Perez reportedly confronts journalist over ‘snarky’ comment at opening LIV event
- Paige Spiranac to take on PGA Tour legend in celebrity challenge match this Summer
- ‘That’s what everybody wants me to do’ – Is Anthony Kim about to make a sensational return to pro golf?
- LIKE90
- LEGIT9
- WOW2
- LOL10
- IDHT0
- FLOP6
- OB5
- SHANK65
While speaking on the “Son of a Butch” Podcast, legendary swing coach Butch Harmon revealed what he worked on with Rory McIlroy when the four-time major champion went to visit him after the Players Championship this season.
Butch Harmon on what he worked on with Rory:
“The work I did with him wasn’t a tremendous amount of changing what he did, it was his attitude and the way he played certain shots. From 150 yards and in he made a full swing like he was hitting a driver and I wanted him to make…
— Matt Vincenzi (@MattVincenziPGA) May 15, 2024
“The work I did with him wasn’t a tremendous amount of changing what he did, it was his attitude and the way he played certain shots. From 150 yards and in he made a full swing like he was hitting a driver and I wanted him to make more 3 quarter swings and chop the follow through off a little. He’s a very high ball hitter, but with short irons high balls aren’t good, it’s hard to control, we wanted to bring the ball flight down.”
The work certainly seemed to help McIlroy, as he went on to win the Zurich Classic alongside Shane Lowry and the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow in back-to-back starts.
Rory will now tee it up at Valhalla for the PGA Championship, which is the site of his most recent major victory in 2014.
More from the 19th Hole
- Phil Mickelson drops big retirement hint; Says LIV will grow the game “on a much more global basis”
- 2-time major champ announces shock retirement from the sport at age of 33
- Tiger explains why golf has “negative connotations” for daughter Sam
New here?
- LIKE3
- LEGIT1
- WOW0
- LOL0
- IDHT0
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK0
19th Hole
Brandel Chamblee says this technological development was key to Phil Mickelson winning major championships
While speaking with GolfWRX, Golf Channel’s Brandel Chamblee shared that he believes the solid core golf ball helped Phil Mickelson win major championships.
“One of the consequences of the solid core golf ball coming around was it put the straightest of hitters in the rough.
“Phil started winning majors in 2004, I don’t think that’s any coincidence. I think he started winning majors after the solid core golf ball came along and put everybody in the rough.
“And so [Phil] is like ‘I got you in the rough, I’m going to kick your a**. This is my game. I’ve been in the rough my whole career. I can go over trees, through trees, around trees.’
“Because he’s got that amazing creativity and Phil is an underrated iron player, phenomenal iron player. Great, great great out of the trouble. If you put the top-40 players on a list and ranked them in terms of accuracy, he would be 40th.
“So, I think that was one of the consequences of the solid core golf balls was it allowed Phil to win major championships.”
Mickelson went on to win the Masters in 2004 as well as five additional majors from 2004-2021 including three total Masters, two PGA Championships, and an Open Championship.
Check out the full interview with Chamblee below:
More from the 19th Hole
- Phil Mickelson drops big retirement hint; Says LIV will grow the game “on a much more global basis”
- 2-time major champ announces shock retirement from the sport at age of 33
- Tiger explains why golf has “negative connotations” for daughter Sam
New here?
- LIKE4
- LEGIT1
- WOW0
- LOL0
- IDHT0
- FLOP1
- OB0
- SHANK6
19th Hole
Former Augusta National employee pleads guilty to transporting stolen Masters memorabilia; Arnold Palmer’s green jacket among stolen items
The document was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.
Since then, more details have emerged about the case.
According to Darren Rovell of Cllct, one of the items that was stolen was Arnold Palmer’s green jacket.
The Chicago Tribune also reported that Globensky was able to steal the merchandise due to his role as a former warehouse coordinator at Augusta National who oversaw the Masters merchandise that was sold.
Rovell states that “A source with intimate knowledge of the case said an Augusta National member, who knew the jacket was missing, contacted a well-known collector who had gained a reputation for tracking down rare items. The member’s goal was to return the jacket to Augusta under the guise of purchasing it in a private sale.”
The plan worked, and the man agreed to sell the jacket for an agreed upon price of $3.6 million. After the sale was complete, the FBI swarmed the house of the thief.
Cllct also reported that Globensky pled guilty in a federal court in Chicago on Wednesday and now faces up to 10 years in prison.
The Chicago Tribune adds that Globensky’s plea deal includes an agreement to provide the government a cashier’s check for $1.5 million in the next few days.
More from the 19th Hole
- Phil Mickelson drops big retirement hint; Says LIV will grow the game “on a much more global basis”
- 2-time major champ announces shock retirement from the sport at age of 33
- Tiger explains why golf has “negative connotations” for daughter Sam
New here?
- LIKE0
- LEGIT0
- WOW0
- LOL1
- IDHT0
- FLOP0
- OB0
- SHANK0
Dave Portnoy places monstrous outright bet for the 2024 Masters
Justin Thomas on the equipment choice of Scottie Scheffler that he thinks is ‘weird’
Tiger Woods arrives at 2024 Masters equipped with a putter that may surprise you
‘Absolutely crazy’ – Major champ lays into Patrick Cantlay over his decision on final hole of RBC Heritage
Report: Tiger Woods has ‘eliminated sex’ in preparation for the 2024 Masters
Two star names reportedly blanked Jon Rahm all week at the Masters
Report: LIV Golf identifies latest star name they hope to sign to breakaway tour
Neal Shipley presser ends in awkward fashion after reporter claims Tiger handed him note on 8th fairway
What we know about Bryson DeChambeau’s 3D-printed Avoda irons
Brandel Chamblee has ‘no doubt’ who started the McIlroy/LIV rumor and why
Club Junkie WITB, league night week 5: Another L.A.B. putter arises
We will be one quarter of the way through Thursday night men’s league season after this week. BK played much...
Jon Rahm WITB 2024 (May)
Jon Rahm what’s in the bag accurate as of the PGA Championship. 15 clubs pictured. More photos from the event...
John Daly WITB 2024 (May)
John Daly WITB accurate as of the PGA Championship. More photos from the event here. Driver: Ping G430 LST (9...
WITB Time Machine: Rory McIlroy’s winning WITB, 2014 PGA Championship
It’s hard to believe it’s been 10 years since Rory McIlroy outlasted Phil Mickelson at the 2014 PGA Championship. It’s...
-
19th Hole3 weeks agoLET pro gives detailed financial breakdown of first week on tour…and the net result may shock you
-
19th Hole1 week agoReport: LIV star turns down PGA Championship invite due to ‘personal commitments’
-
19th Hole2 weeks agoGary Player claims this is what ‘completely ruined’ Tiger Woods’ career
-
Equipment1 week agoDetails on Justin Thomas’ driver switch at the Wells Fargo Championship
-
Whats in the Bag2 days agoTiger Woods WITB 2024 (May)
-
19th Hole1 day agoBrandel Chamblee says this is the primary reason why Rory McIlroy hasn’t won a major in 10 years
-
Whats in the Bag3 weeks agoTeam McIlowry (Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry) winning WITBs: 2024 Zurich Classic
-
Whats in the Bag1 week agoKeegan Bradley WITB 2024 (May)
