“I don’t hate Tiger at all. I love Tiger. I think what he’s doing is amazing,” Brandel Chamblee stated in a bid to absolve himself of the unwanted label of being a ‘Tiger Hater.’ Chamblee was explaining his stand in 2015 to Golf Digest. Now, nearly ten years later, Chamblee has failed to convince the world at large that he does not really hate Tiger Woods. Speaking on the Smylie Show, Brandel Chamblee wanted to set a few things straight.

Chamblee is allegedly not a fan of the Big Cat, but the former PGA Tour pro made it clear that this was not the case. Brandel became associated with broadcasting in 2003 after losing his PGA Tour card. At that time, Tiger Woods was one of the most dominant forces in any sport. During the period between 1999 and 2002, Woods won seven major titles, including four in a row between 2000 and 2001. He was entering 2003 having established himself as head and shoulders above the rest, but then, in a surprising decision, he altered his swing. This move didn’t sit quite right with the now-analyst.

“Why is he changing his golf swing in 2004? Is the question. The golf swing was so different, and the results were so different. It was, to me, and still remains, the most bizarre thing in the history of sports,” Chamblee exclaimed out loud. The swing alteration did create a pause in his accolades for a few years. Woods did not win a single major in 2003 and 2004, in all probability, taking time trying to adjust to his swing. And that is why Chamblee had an issue with it.

“He’s the single most dominant and the single most consistent athlete in the history of sport. And he’s changing the technique that made him consistent and dominant.” Chamblee explained. Woods did get back in the thick of things after 2004, winning the majors six more times in another four years between 2005 and 2008. But the decision remains a bit bizarre to Brandel Chamblee. This was not the only time Tiger Woods changed his swing.

Back in 1997, right after winning the Masters, Woods wanted to overhaul his swing and come up with something more potent. “I don’t want incremental change; I want a total remodel.” Woods reportedly told his coach, Butch Harmon. All of this made Chamblee look like Tiger’s critic. “I would say this is why I likely got characterized as a Tiger hater for the earliest part of my TV career, which I never was and am not now,” Chamblee further added.

When you are at the top of your sport, you are bound to attract critics. The next change, seven years later, came because of reasons beyond his control. Forecasting injury-related problems, Woods altered his swing to prevent injuries, mainly to his left knee. The changes involved a more compact backswing, a flatter swing plane, and a more upright posture to reduce stress on his body.

But Chamblee is not the only one to have had that label. Recently, Sergio Garcia laid to rest his highly publicized hate towards the Big Cat in a No Bad Lies episode with Andrew Santino. Garcia had previously stated, “I’m not going to lie, he’s not my favorite guy to play with. He’s not the nicest guy on Tour.” 

Tiger Woods has no shortage of haters

“I wish that I could take that back. But I think at the end of the day, the way I look at things is you’ve got to learn from your mistakes. And that’s the only way you kind of grow and get better,” Garcia stated while playing on the course with Santino. Garcia, of course, is referring to the public feud between him and Woods at the 2003 Masters after the former accused the latter of using the crowd to distract him during the shot.

Garcia, later, made a racist comment about Woods, stating that they would discuss the matter over ‘fried chicken,‘ leading to severe criticism. But now, according to the Spaniard, the bad blood is long gone and everything is resolved. “We meet up and stuff, and it’s all good,” the 2018 Masters champion added.

Tiger Woods’s success does come with a prize!