Brandel Chamblee lit into the Premiere Golf League for taking ‘sewer’ Saudi money

Brandel Chamblee has fully weighed in on the Premiere Golf League and his thoughts aren’t great.

Before I get to Brandel’s comments, I have to say that I was skeptical of the PGL before hearing Andy Gardiner’s podcast with Rick Shiels. After? I’m all in favor of it. I love the format, I love no cuts and giving sponsors and fans what they pay for – to see the best golfers in the world play three rounds, and I love the team/playoff format.

I’m interested to see if it actually comes to fruition and how a relegation type of system is implemented.

Now, here are Brandel’s thoughts.

“Rory’s rebuff of the PGL — yeah, it was about autonomy — but more than that, far more than that, it was about integrity. Rory had the audacity to question where the money for the PGL was coming from, as if you should care where the money is coming from.

“If water is flowing downhill from a sewer, philosophically, the place where this money is coming from is the sewer of philosophical ideas. This is where they kill apostates; this is where they put homosexuals in bags and throw them off roofs; this is where they chop up journalists if they don’t like what they say. So, philosophically, this is the sewer. 

“So if water is flowing downhill from a sewer, and because the volume is so great, it’s contamination is diffused such that you can’t really tell that it’s contaminated, and everybody is telling you to take a drink — Rory stands alone in saying, ‘Don’t drink the water. It’s contaminated.’

“And what he did there is far more rare and far more important than his talent is. His talent entertains us, and as rare as his talent is, you see that occasionally. But to see that kind of talent accompanied with this social awareness and this philosophical precocity, if you want to call it that, that’s out of this park.”

To Brandel’s main point, which seems to be the Saudi money, he is correct in saying that there is Saudi money involved and it’s pretty damning. However, that isn’t the ONLY money involved in this with over 60 sponsors on board.

Is it fair to punish everyone because of one country’s stupidity?

I’m not hear to tell you what to think, but I will tell you that this league could be a great thing for the sport of golf. It could spark a whole new generation of golfers and isn’t that what we want?

Author: Michael Shamburger

Michael is the founder and Editor in Chief of The Stiff Shaft. He's spent 15+ years covering golf for TheBigLead, Golfweek, and Golf Channel. Don't follow the hive-think mentality. Do your own research and form your own opinions.