“I don’t think he gets enough credit” - Brandel Chamblee highlights Tiger Woods' agent as 'unsung hero' in PGA Tour-LIV Golf battle
Brandel Chamblee isn't a fan of LIV Golf, but he is a big fan of Tiger Woods' agent, who has been instrumental in keeping many stars away from the rebel tour. So many have taken the big contracts and fled for supposedly greener pastures, but many of Mark Steinberg's clients did no such thing. Chamblee has praised Woods' agent calling him an 'unsung hero' in the PGA Tour-LIV Golf battle.
Chamblee noted that Steinberg fired Thomas Pieters who joined LIV Golf. Many agents get a major cut of what their client signs for, so it can be difficult for them to tell their player not to take a massive contract with LIV, thus getting a lot of money. The analyst said that it would have been in the best interest of the agent, but not the player, which is why Steinberg is being praised.
He turned the argument the other way around as well, mentioning that agents of those who have defected haven't been a part of the negative attention via Golf Magic:
"So I think agents haven't gotten enough derision in this mix, but well-known within the golf community is just how greedy they have been pushing their players towards these deals."
Chamblee lauded agents who "fight" and from his perspective, accurately inform their clients that this wouldn't be a good decision (again, in Chamblee's eyes). He went on to credit Will Zalatoris as a massive turning point in this debate. He noted that so many players were offered "mind-blowing" contracts, but they turned them down.
Zalatoris was supposedly offered $140 million, but he and his agent turned it down:
"I don't think he gets enough credit for what he did. He was on the range injured, just beginning his career, wasn't sure that he was going to be able to continue, wasn't sure he was going to be able to work his way back from the back injury, gets a call, they offered him over $100 million."
Chamblee even says that there was an initial rejection before the Saudi league even got to the reported $140 million total, so Zalatoris and his team had two chances to sign on and declined to take the money both times. Decisions like that have a major impact on the overall state of the game, especially with there still being a bit of a chasm between the two tours.
Mark Steinberg players stood against LIV, per Brandel Chamblee
Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Justin Rose, Matt Fitzpatrick, Gary Woodland and Matt Kuchar were Steinberg clients who didn't defect. It's likely that most golfers on tour have been at least approached by LIV, but these players evidently stood firm.
Brandel Chamblee's feelings on the rebel tour are not unknown. He doesn't usually miss an opportunity to speak down on it and its players. This time, he's propping up those who ignored it and stayed on the PGA Tour.
Chamblee has called out the leadership of LIV and he has called out members, but even he understands the sheer lunacy of some of the contracts (like Jon Rahm's signing for over $500 million) that players were offered. This is why he heaped praise on Zalatoris and others for turning them down.