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I don’t think it would be reaching to say that every player who spends time on the PGA Tour by earning exempt status is an excellent player. Some obviously have better careers than others. Some have fine careers without winning, some win then disappear. Some have picturesque swings, some have odd looking moves that might make you think that they weren’t that good, until you remembered where you were watching them (playing in a Tour event). Some hit the ball great and struggle with the short game, some do the opposite, and every now and then someone puts it together and becomes extra special. Whatever the case it is not often that we read more than a small amount of negative comments about any particular player considering that just by being out there the tour player has earned the respect of those who would write about them. So, consider the following series of comments directed at one particular player by one particular media person: (I will paraphrase a bit here, but if you want I can find the exact quote).
“He should fire his coach and go back to his old one”.
“He should have just kept doing what he was doing.”
“He’s not turning his core”.
“He’s stuck”.
“He almost can’t do anything”.
“He breaks his swing in the first foot and a half”.
“He ruins any chance of getting the club in balance”.
“He snaps up out of the ball”.
“He is over the top”.
“He is steep with his wedges”.
“He is taking way bigger divots than Phil Mickelson”.
“He can’t draw the ball”.
“He is surrounded by a “dark inertia”.
“He is one dimensional and lacks versatility”.
“He has robbed the fans and the public of his greatness by continually changing his swing”.
Wow. This guy must suck! Oh, wait…we’re talking about none other than Tiger Woods, the guy who, according to our media sage, “won’t be the greatest player of all time even if he breaks Jack’s major record”. In fact, Tiger “wasn’t even the best over a short period of time”. Of course, the source of all this pithy commentary is our own beloved Brandel Chamblee, Golf Channel Analyst extraordinaire.
What gets me about Chamblee’s obvious dislike for anything associated with Tiger Woods is the fact that Chamblee’s job exists because of Tiger Woods. Does anyone really think that there would be a Golf Channel without the charge Tiger brought to the entire golf industry? Talk about biting the hand that feeds you. He might as well start raking Arnold Palmer over the coals for not winning a major after 1964.
Besides that, how can anyone look at what Tiger has done in his career and not have total respect for his abilities and his winning record. It just makes no sense for Chamblee to constantly hammer a guy who was the best player in the world for nearly 11 straight years (with a couple of weak spots), and now has come back from injury and personal problems to win 3 times and gain the #2 spot in the World Rankings.
I have to believe it is simply a personal vendetta, that somehow Tiger pissed Chamblee off and Brandel is now taking every opportunity to say something negative about anything Tiger does. Or maybe it’s just jealousy and the bitterness left over from Chamblee playing himself off the Tour, while Tiger, who was already winning everything, took time to retool his game 3 times and has been successful at it every time? I don’t know about everyone else, but it drives me crazy. All you have to do is read the list of quotes above, remember that every statement is direct commentary about Tiger Woods, winner of 74 Tour events and 14 majors, not to mention 2 Fed Ex Cups, 16 World Golf Championships, 10 money titles, 38 European Tour wins, 3 U.S. Juniors, 3 U.S. Amateurs, 5 World Juniors, and 623 weeks as the #1 player in the world, and see what a (fill in the blank) Chamblee really is. I’m sure his wife and kids love him, and at least some of his Golf Channel cohorts think he’s great, but I really wish he would just go away.
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