One of the biggest problems a game such as golf has when they have a Tiger Woods come along, is figuring out what exactly they do once that legendary figure is no longer the force they previously were.
Tiger Woods is one of the most important players in golf’s history. He seemed to completely change the game when he came along – threatening to break every single record related to greatness in the sport.
Unfortunately, Woods’ successor is yet to emerge. The 49-year-old remains such a massive draw even when the 15-time major champion’s body is clearly struggling to get through 72 holes more than a handful of times a year.
Some players have become superstars in recent years. Rory McIlroy is definitely in that elite tier, while Jordan Spieth is a needle mover. Meanwhile, there is an argument that Bryson DeChambeau has become one of the most popular players in the current game.
Brandel Chamblee compares Bryson DeChambeau and Tiger Woods as needle movers
Of course, DeChambeau’s win at the US Open last year ramped up calls for the PGA Tour and LIV Golf to find a way to reunite. It was a big blow for the PGA Tour for fans to not see DeChambeau at all until The Open Championship unless they tuned into the competition.
However, Brandel Chamblee is not convinced that not having DeChambeau is as big a blow to the PGA Tour as some would perhaps think.
Taking to X, Chamblee initially wrote: ‘And why in the hell does the tour NEED to bring LIV players back???? Sure I miss a few of them but it’s not like any of them were Steve Jobs to Apple… none of them moved the needle and collectively they can’t scratch out interest in the golf world…meanwhile the tour is killing it.‘
And when one fan responded to Chamblee arguing about DeChambeau’s popularity, the analyst insisted that the two-time US Open champion is not a real game-changer when it comes to ratings.
Fans hit back at Chamblee after his comments on LIV Golf and Bryson DeChambeau
Unsurprisingly – at a time when golf remains so divided – Chamblee’s initial point did not sit right with plenty of fans on social media.
One fan responded by saying: ‘Bryson moves the needle and to not give him some credit baffles me. He has either the best social media game for any pro or at least one near the top. That matters and you should at least acknowledge that in today’s game SM brings new players into the game.’
Meanwhile, another said: ‘Absolutely horrendous take Brandel. To add the collective LIV players back into the mix will undoubtedly bring more names to the top of leaderboards week in and week out. Rising tide lifts all boats‘.
One person took exception with Chamblee arguing that the PGA Tour is knocking it out the park right now, stating: ‘Golf is fractured and to say otherwise is insanity. Bryson moves the needle more than any golfer alive not named Tiger. Brooks, Rahm and others make the product better. Get a deal done‘.
And another agreed with that view, writing: ‘Tour is not killing it, I wish it was. Koepka is a needle mover, Rahm, DJ and Phil kinda are. They’d help, but lots of fans have left.’
Golf is definitely still struggling to figure out how it moves forward now that it cannot rely on Woods to appear more than a handful of times a year. And while no-one in the current game comes close to making the same impact, it clearly does not help when a number of the bigger names are playing on another tour.
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