LIV players are supplanted in the world rankings by “Jimmy no-names,” and McIlroy appears “disinterested,” according to Chubby Chandler’s most recent harsh opinions.
Chubby Chandler, the former agent of Rory McIlroy, has been in the news lately for his opinions on a variety of topics, including the four-time Major winner’s potential to sign with LIV Golf and the continuing negotiations between the PGA Tour and Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) off-the-track.
He is now once again focusing on the PGA Tour and his former client, McIlroy, saying that events since the latter’s rise have left him “disinterested.” He claims that LIV Golf has affected the tour significantly.
Regarding the PGA Tour’s current situation, Chandler asserted that a number of well-known players who have left LIV Golf haven’t been sufficiently replaced, which has had an unanticipated effect given the world rankings of those who have joined.
He clarified, speaking in support of BetIdeas: “The PGA Tour receives payment from TV fees depending on the weight of the field as determined by the global rankings. Their weighted field has increased rather than decreased as a result of the 20 players they cut.
“People named Jimmy No-names have taken the place of all those LIV players. All of these players are still ranked well on the PGA Tour, but their standing has improved since they lost Cam Smith, Louis Ooosthuizen, and the non-American players.
You can’t have it, how? It is not possible to have global rankings that favor the United States, as they have in recent years.”
Chandler also focused on McIlroy, who gained notoriety for defending the PGA Tour after LIV Golf emerged. Chandler believes that this circumstance has ultimately hurt his game, especially when the PGA Tour and PIF began to negotiate.
“It seems like Rory is uninterested,” he remarked. He seemed unfocused. Right now, it seems that the previous year really taxed him, and then all of a sudden, he was let down and is struggling to get back up. That’s how it appears to me.”
Rory McIlroy during The Players Championship practice round
Chubby Chandler believes Rory McIlroy’s game has been impacted by PGA Tour events during the past two years.
Although McIlroy has a hectic schedule leading up to his most recent attempt to win the Green Jacket at The Masters, his play on the PGA Tour has been inconsistent thus far this year. Though it was just briefly, Chandler believes he caught a glimpse of the former McIlroy during the third round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill.
“There is no spark, no twinkle in his eyes,” he clarified. He was like the old Rory for about an hour and a half on Saturday afternoon, but you know that springy step he has when he’s playing well? It’s gone, and I’m sure that year, or those eighteen months, had its toll.
In the second season of the Netflix documentary Full Swing, McIlroy’s struggle to balance politics and his playing responsibilities was exposed, and Chandler couldn’t understand why he didn’t realize the impact it was having on him.
“Rory was front and center of Full Swing,” he went on. How he failed to recognize that he was experiencing that is beyond me. Because Nicklaus or Tiger wouldn’t have done it, he was either getting paid well for it or he enjoyed having his words displayed constantly.
“They’re not even Americans, and they wouldn’t have given up a year of their lives to fight for the PGA Tour, even though he’s not playing as well as they can.”
Rory McIlroy is competing in The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass this week. His tee time is 8.35 am ET (12.35 pm GMT), and he is playing with Jordan Spieth and Viktor Hovland in a group.
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