The disparity in how Golf Channel, particularly analysts like Brandel Chamblee, covers Justin Thomas versus LIV Golf players like Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm has sparked heated debate among fans, often encapsulated by the “heads I win, tails you lose” meme circulating on social media. This phrase captures the perception that PGA Tour loyalists like Thomas are shielded from scrutiny despite poor major performances, while LIV players are criticized regardless of their results.
Analyzing this phenomenon reveals a mix of narrative bias, media incentives, and structural dynamics in golf’s ongoing PGA Tour-LIV divide.
Justin Thomas’s Major Struggles vs. PGA Tour Success
Thomas, a 16-time PGA Tour winner and two-time major champion (2017 and 2022 PGA Championships), has been a darling of the golf establishment. Since his last major win in 2022, Thomas’s major performances have been abysmal. Over the last two-plus major seasons (2023–2025), Thomas has missed the cut in six of 10 majors (a 60% clip), with just a single top-10 finish.
Justin Thomas’ Major Swoon
2023 – MC, T65, MC, MC
2024 – MC, T8, MC, T31
2025 – T36, MC
At the 2025 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow, Thomas entered again as one of the top-5 betting favorites, just below co-favorites Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, but alongside DeChambeau and Rahm. On the PGA Tour this season, Thomas has thrived, winning the RBC Heritage and posting five other top-10s. He’s ranked No. 5 in the world. Yet, he missed the cut after rounds of 73-72, finishing at 3-over, while DeChambeau and Rahm finished exactly where the betting markets had predicted: near the top.
(As an aside: Let’s reverse the roles, and LIV Golf is the one colluding with the OWGR, blocking the TOUR from receiving world ranking points. Then LIV Golf’s fake “world No. 5” shows up at every major and flops. How would the media treat him? They’d mock him into oblivion.)
Contrast this with DeChambeau, who, since joining LIV Golf in 2023, has arguably compiled the third-best major record behind Scheffler and Xander Schauffele. DeChambeau won the 2024 U.S. Open, finished second at the 2024 and 2025 PGA Championships, and posted a pair of top-6s at the Masters.
In the 2025 PGA, unlike Thomas, DeChambeau tied for second at 6-under, outperforming 154 players. Despite this, Golf Channel’s Chamblee wildly claimed DeChambeau’s LIV move “ruined” him, ignoring that only Scheffler finished ahead of him at Quail Hollow.
The “Heads I Win, Tails You Lose” Narrative
When Thomas excels on the PGA Tour, Golf Channel praises his “grit” and “resilience,” as seen in their glowing coverage of his 2025 win at Hilton Head. When he flops in majors, analysts like Chamblee or Eamon Lynch simply ignore the narrative. For example, after Thomas’s 2025 PGA missed cut, Golf Channel’s “Live From” segment barely mentioned him, focusing instead on LIV star Brooks Koepka and “his continued major struggles.”
A post on X: “JT misses another major cut, despite being a top pre-game betting fav and storyline (world No. 5 and won here in 2017) yet Golf Channel’s like, ‘Let’s talk about LIV’s 54-hole format again.'”
LIV players face the opposite treatment. When they struggle, as Rahm did with a late collapse at Quail Hollow, it’s attributed to LIV’s “soft” competition. “Brandel’s logic: JT’s and Jordan’s major MCs are ‘just part of golf,’ but Bryson’s T2 or Rahm’s T8 proves LIV’s a failure,” posted another on X.
Why the Double Standard?
Several factors explain why Thomas gets a pass while LIV players are perpetually criticized:
- Media Bias and PGA Tour Loyalty
Golf Channel, an NBCUniversal property, has deep ties to the PGA Tour, which it broadcasts exclusively. This creates an incentive to protect Tour loyalists like Thomas, whose marketability — charismatic, young, and American — bolsters the Tour’s brand. Chamblee, a former PGA Tour journeyman with one career win, has been outspoken against LIV, calling it a “sportswashing” scheme backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. His criticism of LIV players often feels personal, as seen in his 2023 feud with Phil Mickelson. Said one media analyst: “Chamblee’s not analyzing; he’s crusading. JT’s one of his guys, so he gets kid gloves.” - Narrative Convenience
Thomas’s major struggles don’t fit Golf Channel’s anti-LIV narrative. Acknowledging that a PGA Tour star who is wildly succeeding on Tour while faltering in golf’s biggest events undermines the argument that the Tour is THE place for competitive greatness. Instead, analysts pivot to LIV’s flaws, even when LIV players outperform Tour stars. RoughLies tweeted, “JT’s major choke jobs get a shrug, but Bryson’s LIV contract is a crime. Golf Channel’s got an agenda.”
Spinning the Data
The data is a problem for the media. But not if you spin it:
- Data Doesn’t Lie
Data underscores the disparity. Since moving to LIV in 2023, DeChambeau has finished in the top 20 in 70% (60% in top 10) of his major starts, compared to Thomas’s 10% during same timeframe.Thomas vs DeChambeau 2023-2025
Thomas – MC, T65, MC, MC, MC, T8, MC, T31, T36, MC
DeChambeau – MC, T4, T20, T60, T6, 2nd, 1st, MC, T5, T2Meanwhile, Rahm’s major top-20 rate is 60% since joining LIV in 2024, while Thomas is 17% during same period.
Thomas vs Rahm 2024-2025
Thomas – MC, T8, MC, T31, T36, MC
Rahm – T45, MC, DNP, T7, T14, T8Yet, Golf Channel’s coverage rarely calls out Thomas’s major futility, while LIV players are held to an impossible standard. As an X user posted, “JT’s major record is a dumpster fire, but Brandel’s too busy dunking on LIV guys to notice.”
- Selective Metrics
Golf Channel often uses vague or selective criteria to evaluate players. Thomas’s PGA Tour wins and FedEx Cup points are highlighted, but his major woes are downplayed. Conversely, DeChambeau’s major success is undercut by claims LIV’s no-cut, 54-hole format doesn’t prepare him for “real” competition, despite his recent major success.For instance, at the 2025 PGA, LIV Golf’s top-3 players in the season-long individual points (1. Joaquin Niemann, 2. DeChambeau, 3. Rahm) finished T8, T2, T8, respectively, for an average of 6th place.Meanwhile, the PGA Tour’s top-3 players in the FedExCup points race (1. Scheffler, 2. McIlroy, 3. Sepp Straka) finished 1st, T47, MC (75th), respectively, for an average finish of 47th.
If you go deeper, six of the top 10 in the FedExCup race missed the cut (3. Straka, 4. Thomas, 5. Andrew Novak, 6. Russell Henley, 8. Shane Lowry, 9. Ludvig Aberg). What does that say about the PGA Tour talent?
“You would think that would be an interesting segment for the set to analyze — the average finish of each tour’s leading points getters. Instead, Chamblee loses his mind and bizarrely says DeChambeau and Rahm are failures. Just head shaking bad,” a comment on Youtube said.
Conclusion
This double standard reflects golf’s broader schism. The PGA Tour-LIV rivalry, now in its fourth year, has polarized the sport, with media outlets like Golf Channel acting as de facto Tour advocates. The “heads I win, tails you lose” meme captures Golf Channel’s inconsistent treatment of Thomas and LIV players like DeChambeau. Thomas’s PGA Tour success and loyalty insulate him from criticism, while LIV players are scapegoated to reinforce an anti-LIV narrative.
This bias, rooted in media incentives and personal agendas, ignores data showing DeChambeau’s and Rahm’s major prowess and Thomas’s struggles. Until Golf Channel applies the same scrutiny across the board, fans will keep calling foul, and the meme will keep ringing true.
