In his latest round of unsolicited commentary, Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee has once again trained his sights on Bryson DeChambeau, this time casting doubt on the two-time U.S. Open champion’s impressive greens in regulation (GIR) numbers from the 2026 LIV Golf season.
On a recent podcast, Chamblee highlighted DeChambeau’s early-season performance — noting that after five starts, the LIV player is averaging right around 77% GIR (with official LIV stats showing him tied for third at approximately 76.94% through available events). For context, that’s a mark that would stand out on any tour. But rather than celebrate the iron play, Chamblee dismissed the statistic outright, calling LIV Golf’s numbers “laughable to look at” and “dubious” overall.
To drive home his skepticism, Chamblee compared it to DeChambeau’s PGA Tour days, where he averaged closer to 67% GIR over several years. He pointed out that annual tour leaders typically hover around 72-73% and even invoked Tiger Woods’ legendary 2000 season — when Woods hit roughly 75% of greens — to argue that nobody has ever struck irons better than peak Tiger. “I can promise you, Bryson’s not hitting his irons that good,” Chamblee concluded.
The subtext was clear: DeChambeau’s elevated GIR on LIV must be suspect — the fields weaker, the conditions softer, or the stats themselves unreliable.
Yet the selective nature of Chamblee’s outrage raises eyebrows. On the DP World Tour, Min Woo Lee — a full PGA Tour member who also competes on the European circuit — is reportedly averaging 76.39% GIR as one of the season’s leaders through two starts. That’s nearly identical to DeChambeau’s mark, yet there’s been no similar guns-blazing critique from Chamblee questioning Lee’s iron play, the validity of DP World Tour stats, or any “dubious” inflation there. Lee, who has posted strong PGA Tour results this year including a runner-up at Pebble Beach and T3 at the Houston Open, receives no such scrutiny despite splitting time between tours.
Further context makes the criticism even thinner. LIV Golf does not fold majors into its season-long stats, unlike the PGA Tour. Major championship setups are traditionally far more challenging — with heavier rough, faster greens, and penal conditions — which naturally suppress season-long GIR percentages for players who compete in them. DeChambeau’s PGA Tour historical averages include those demanding weeks, while his LIV figures reflect only league events.
Additionally, no one has ever claimed LIV’s host courses are on par with the PGA Tour’s historic, iconic layouts like Augusta National, Pebble Beach, or TPC Sawgrass. LIV is still an upstart league, and reports suggest some of the world’s best courses have faced pressure or threats to avoid partnering with it. Comparing raw stats across tours without accounting for course difficulty, format differences, or event inclusion is shaky analysis at best.
Over the past two seasons, despite Chamblee’s constant criticism, DeChambeau has proven himself to be an undisputed world top-5 player whenever he’s teed it up in the majors against the best the PGA Tour has to offer.
Over the span of two full major seasons, DeChambeau has compiled a record only bested by two PGA Tour players: Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele, who each won two majors. In eight major starts, he has a win, two seconds, another top 5, and an additional top 10 — that’s six top-10 finishes in eight starts. Further, he’s accumulated more OWGR points (256.83) than anyone over this two-year period other than the aforementioned duo.
For comparison, the PGA Tour’s Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, and Jordan Spieth each a world-class multi-major winner, in the same generation as DeChambeau, have COMBINED for three top-10 finishes (half of DeChambeau’s six) over that same two-year span.
DeChambeau’s Major Success (2024-25)
Starts: 8
Top-10s: 6
Top-5s: 4
Top-3s: 3
Wins: 1
OWGR Points: 256.83*
Masters: 6th, 5th
PGA Championship: 2nd, 2nd
U.S. Open: 1st, MC
The Open: MC, 10th
* 3rd best in world behind only Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele
DeChambeau has long been one of the game’s most analytical and data-driven players, with visible improvements in ball-striking through swing changes and equipment tweaks.
Golf fans and observers were quick to push back online, noting the selective outrage and pointing out that DeChambeau has thrived in LIV’s format while still “beating 98% of the PGA Tour superstars” when crossing over to majors.
This isn’t the first time Chamblee has gone after DeChambeau’s metrics or character, nor is it likely the last. The pattern is familiar: praise when convenient (or face-to-face), but quick to undermine when it fits the anti-LIV script. Whether it’s calling out “dubious” stats or implying his popularity on YouTube is “mainly due to bots,” the criticism often feels less about illuminating the game and more about settling scores or chasing clicks.
DeChambeau himself has largely brushed off Chamblee’s barbs with humor or indifference in past instances. That approach seems wise; engaging every time would be exhausting.
In the end, the numbers are what they are until proven otherwise. If Bryson DeChambeau is hitting around 77% of greens in regulation on LIV, it’s worth acknowledging on its merits, not reflexively questioning because it happened on a tour Brandel Chamblee hates. Even the most ardent LIV Golf backer admits the upstart league’s stats are rudimentary, and the golf courses are not comparable to Pebble Beach, Riviera, or Bay Hill.
Bottom-line: golf analysis should elevate the conversation with consistent standards, not devolve into thinly veiled potshots that ignore context and DeChambeau’s proven major pedigree.
In the meantime, DeChambeau will keep bombing drives, dialing in approaches (mostly with a wedge), and letting his results do the talking. Chamblee will keep talking utter nonsense. Some habits die hard.
