Following the emergence of LIV Golf in 2022, Brandel Chamblee had been one of its fiercest critics and the Saudi regime that finances it.
The Golf Channel studio analyst has weighed in on everything from the unique formatof the circuit's tournaments, which he described as “laughable,” to the decisions of players to join it.
Even after it was announced that rival the PGA Tour and the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) behind LIV Golf had open discussions on a way to reunite the men’s elite game, Chamblee was unwavering, describing the 6 June 2023 news as “one of the saddest days in the history of professional golf.”
Chamblee later admitted that he hoped the deal would go through the sake of the PGA Tour, and he has now revealed that a round of golf with President Trump softened his stance further.
Earlier in the week, the PGA Tour released a statement confirming that commissioner Jay Monahan and Adam Scott had met with Trump in an effort to conclude the deal.
Speaking at the WM Phoenix Open, Chamblee explained that he felt it was inevitable Trump would have a say in the discussions given his interest in the power struggle at the top of the game, which he had outlined to Chamblee during their round together.
He said: “I felt like it was inevitable after the election. You know, I had the pleasure of playing with President Trump last year and almost every single hole when we would putt out, he would want to come over and talk to me about LIV Golf, about Saudi’s involvement in the game of golf, and he was so magnanimous about our differences.
Brandel Chamblee after speaking to Donald Trump about LIV and the PGA Tour:“Of course I understand why we need Saudi Arabia as a partner” Wow. Just, wow. Listen to this full clip!@ProGolfCritic pic.twitter.com/niPA9iIPt6February 7, 2025
“At one point he said, 'Look, I know you and I differ in this opinion but hear me out.' He said Yasir [Al-Rumayyan], the gentleman who runs LIV and heads the PIF. He said, 'Yasir loves golf more than you do and more than I do.' Now, that’s hard to believe because President Trump plays a lot of golf and I’m crazy about it, but he was serious. He was like, he loves golf that much.
“They have $32 trillion worth of oil underneath that sand and they really have to diversify their economy. He said they are all in on this and they are not going anywhere.”
Chamblee then explained that Trump persuaded him to consider the big picture. He explained: “As the round progressed, he would want to talk almost every hole about LIV and about the Saudi involvement, how excited he was for Saudi Arabia. Geopolitical issues aside, of course, of course I understand why we acquiesce and need Saudi Arabia as a partner in the Middle East.
“My issues were about the human rights concerns about how golf was at some point, I felt, like going to have to apologize for some issue, and he was like: 'Just look farther into the future, it’s going to be good for Saudi Arabia, it’s going to be good for the PGA Tour, it’s going to be good for LIV.'
“And at the end of the day, did I agree with him? No, but I’ve got to say, he made strong points all day long. He was, I wouldn’t say adamant about it, but he was as opinionated on one side of it as I was. I was happy to listen to him. I was grateful for the conversation all day long at the end of it I will say that he did change my mind.”
