Brandel Chamblee Launches Scathing Attack on LIV Golf After Saudi Arabia’s PIF Reportedly Withdraws Funding

Brandel Chamblee once again took a swipe at LIV Golf as reports claim that the PIF will stop their funding after the 2026 season.

Brandel Chamblee Launches Scathing Attack on LIV Golf After Saudi Arabia’s PIF Reportedly Withdraws Funding

Brandel Chamblee (Image via Imago)

The Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia is reportedly ready to withdraw their funding of LIV Golf. Amidst this, golf insider Brandel Chamblee launched a scathing attack on the breakaway tour on social media.

A few days after the 2026 Masters Tournament, a report from The Financial Times claimed that the PIF was pulling the plug on LIV Golf and stopping its funding. The sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia has invested over $5 billion since the inauguration of LIV Golf.

After these reports came out, CEO Scott O’Neil claimed that there would be some structural changes coming to the league. On Wednesday, reports from the Wall Street Journal expressed that the league will inform it’s staff and players about the PIF withdrawing their funding after the 2026 season.

This would be a major blow to them. The league, which kick-started in 2021, brought in some of the biggest names from the PGA Tour and DP World Tour on huge money deals. With the PIF withdrawing its support, it would leave a drastic impact on the league.

Amid this, Brandel Chamblee dropped some heavy words. The 63-year-old, who has been a huge critic of LIV Golf in the past, launched another attack at them. In a long post on X, the golf insider claimed that LIV tilted the game towards “greed.”

It tilted the game towards greed. It muddied the meritocratic aspects of golf. It’s likely that the philanthropic foundations of this game will, to some extent, be eaten into to fund the future equity of PGA Tour players. It stalled, or killed, the trajectory of hall of fame players. It divided the game.

Brandel Chamblee said regarding LIV Golf on X

In 2023, the veteran insider dropped a huge take regarding the then 54-hole circuit. He claimed that working with LIV Golf was like dealing with a murderous dictator. In his post on X, he once again brought up the “sportwashing” comment and continued to attack the league.

Sportswashing, what MBS/PIF were attempting to do with LIV by paying athletes for their celebrity to confer legitimacy on their murderous regime, reverses this process because it is only ostensibly about the competition, it is primarily about the obfuscation of the horrors of the regime. … Good riddance to the Saudi backed LIV.

Brandel Chamblee added

Chamblee has also often found himself in a war of words with Phil Mickelson. He has many times attacked the 6-time major champion for joining the Saudi-backed tour and supporting them. He once urged for Mickelson’s removal from the World Golf Hall of Fame due to his ties with LIV Golf.

Yasir Al-Rumayyan steps down as LIV Golf chairman

LIV Golf is about to undergo some big changes in the upcoming days. Amid reports of the league getting ready to inform its players about the PIF pulling its funding, the chairman, Yasir Al-Rumayyan, has stepped down from his post.

LIV Golf chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan
Yasir Al-Rumayyan (Image via Imago)

The Saudi Arabian businessman is the governor of the PIF. In 2021, he founded the LIV Golf league along with 2-time major champion Greg Norman.

With the PIF pulling away from the tour, Al-Rumayyan is also separating from the league. According to reports from Josh Carpenter of Sports Business Journal, the 58-year-old has stepped down from his post as the chairman of LIV Golf.

At the moment, there are many questions regarding the future of LIV Golf. On Tuesday, the league officially postponed their Louisiana event that was scheduled to take place from June 25-28.

According to reports from Golf Digest, the players have started to reach out to the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour about a potential return. However, unlike Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed, who both left LIV earlier this year, there will be more restrictions for the golfers who want to come back.

As per Scott O’Neil, the league is expected to go as planned without any interruptions. As always, only time will tell what happens next with the breakaway tour.

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