Brandel Chamblee makes his unexpected pick for 'Man of the Year'
Golf analyst Brandel Chamblee picked his "Man of the Year" for the 2024 season. Amid discussions over PGA Tour Player of the Year, with fans and experts claiming it should be either Xander Schauffele or Scottie Scheffler, Chamblee said that his vote for 'Man of the Year' would go for someone who gave everyone "a reason to smile."
Brandel Chamblee picked American golfer Johnson Wagner as his 'Man of the Year'. Earlier this year, Wagner had made headlines by recreating Bryson DeChambeau's amazing US Open winning shot at the Pinehurst No.2 golf course.
On November 11 golf analyst shared a picture of DeChambeau and Wagner from the 2024 U.S. Open while announcing his vote for the "Man of the Year in golf" and wrote (via X, formerly Twitter):
"My vote for Man of the Year in golf did not win a major or any tournament on Tour for that matter, but he did give us all a reason to smile. With one cataclysm of controversy after another disrupting professional golf over the past few years, the game needed a laugh and it came in one of the most relatable, and as anyone who has been similarly afflicted can attest to, courageous attempts to inform us on “Live From” at the majors."
Johnson Wagner currently plays on the PGA Tour and has won three tournaments on the circuit in his career. Having turned professional in 2002, his most recent win came in 2012 at the Sony Open in Hawaii.
He has so far clinched trophies in seven events, including three on the PGA Tour and two on the Korn Ferry Tour, among others.
Brandel Chamblee praised Johnson Wagner for recreating Bryson DeChambeau's U.S. Open bunker shot
In the post about Man of the Year in golf, Brandel Chamblee also opened up about Johnson Wagner's shot at the 2024 U.S. Open. At the Major, Bryson DeChambeau and Rory McIlroy were in contention to win the title, but the Northern Irish golfer struggled on the final holes.
However, the American golfer secured the second major of his career with an amazing shot from the bunker. DeChambeau registered a one-stroke victory in the game over McIlroy. Following the tournament, Wagner recreated that bunker shot on live TV.
In a post, Brandel Chamblee praised him for recreating the shot, writing:
"Johnson Wagner, time after time and one time in particular at the US Open, in trying to recreate great shots of the day and demonstrate what the very best in the game are capable of, brought the whole world of golf together through a kindred connection to his calamity of errors," Chamblee wrote.
"One could say he failed his way to success, but that strikes the ear too hard and misses the architectural charm of these moments. It was just a nice guy willing to risk public embarrassment trying to give the audience some insight into how good the best in the game are and in the most original, unexpectedly comedic and authentic way, he succeeded," he added.
Notably, Brandel Chamblee has also played golf at a professional level. Having turned pro in 1985, he won four tournaments in his career, including one on the PGA Tour.