Brandel Chamblee dropped a surprising nugget on Sky Sports Golf that has the golf world buzzing. While discussing the return of LIV golfers, including some like Patrick Reed, who had his fair share of controversies, Chamblee shared an anecdote involving Tiger Woods that hints at tensions, alliances, and a few eyebrow-raising opinions.

“The way I heard it was Tiger texted Justin Thomas and said, ‘LIV is taking all the—,’ and it was a word. It wasn’t heels,” the Golf Channel analyst revealed with a particular smirk on his face.

So what was Chamblee referring to? A private chat between Tiger Woods and his buddy, Justin Thomas, sometime presumably around late 2022, when the newly-launched PIF-backed league was snatching big names one by one. Phil Mickelson. Bryson DeChambeau. Patrick Reed. And some more.

The exodus actually raised a different criticism. LIV is taking away all the “pantomime villains,” who, despite being polarizing figures, drew the eyeballs. Chamblee, in the recent podcast, also agreed that the PGA Tour needs “blackhats.” And in this context, host Jamie Weir called these guys “Heels,” which is a wrestling term for a fighter who plays a bad guy inside the ring.

Chamblee, alluding to the chatter he heard, revealed that Woods’s text to Justin Thomas used a different word than ‘Heels’ (perhaps a word not fit to be uttered in a podcast) for players like Mickelson and DeChambeau who left for LIV. From Chamblee’s smirk, it was quite possibly an expletive and an X-rated rant from the 15-time major champion.

The golf channel analyst was privy to this, as he hinted, through inside sources. The nature of the chat between JT and Woods shouldn’t come as a surprise, however.

Tiger Woods has been a vocal critic of LIV Golf since its launch, emphasizing loyalty to the PGA Tour. He also raised concerns over the league’s format and funding.

The 82x PGA Tour winner strongly opposed players joining LIV Golf, stating they “turned their back on what has allowed them to get to this position” by prioritizing guaranteed money over merit-based competition. Woods, in fact, never responded to Jon Rahm’s message when the latter switched his PGA Tour card for a LIV Letterman jacket.

Brandel Chamblee, however, revealed that he would like to see a lot of LIV Golfers back on the PGA Tour alongside Patrick Reed.

Chamblee and others want to see LIV Golfers back on the PGA Tour

“They took some strong players, they took some sort of irreverent players, they took some controversial players, and Patrick Reed was one of those. So, it is good to see Patrick Reed back playing some good golf, and it’ll be great to see him back on the PGA Tour. Hopefully, I can’t wait for Jon Rahm to come back. I can’t wait for Bryson DeChambeau to come back. It looks like that’s where we’re headed eventually. And I hope that’s the case,” the golf analyst added.

Reed, notably, claimed that the golf media has painted him as a villain. This has even affected his children, who faced bullying at school because of his poor reputation in the media. The 9x PGA Tour winner also filed a defamation lawsuit against Brandel Chamblee and other media analysts. However, the judge dismissed the case.

Reed left LIV Golf and has revealed his plans to return to the PGA Tour. He aims to get full exempt status by winning a PGA Tour card after finishing in the top 10 in the Race to Dubai rankings. He has already gotten close to fulfilling his goal and poses a challenge to Rory McIlroy on his way.

Just like Brandel Chamblee, others, including Scottie Scheffler and J.J. Spaun, believe that the return of Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed will benefit the PGA Tour. They are both major winners. Thus, their addition will strengthen and make the field more competitive. This will ultimately increase fan engagement, which will drive more sponsors for the PGA Tour.

Koepka has already returned through the Returning Member Program. Patrick Reed will be eligible to compete starting in mid-August due to his past major-winning status. As Harris English highlighted, “the dominoes are starting to fall.”

With Koepka and Reed gone, Rahm and DeChambeau remain the biggest stars on LIV Golf. Both have committed to the Saudi-backed league for the 2026 campaign.

While there is always a chance that they may return, LIV Golf now has something that could hold them and attract more golfers.

LIV Golf gets OWGR points

The Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) granted accreditation to LIV Golf at the start of February 2026. The decision came after the Saudi-backed league expanded to 72-hole formats and added more merit-based spots for golfers after submitting a revised application.

However, the catch is that only top-10 finishers and ties will receive points. Winners could earn about 23 points, similar to select PGA Tour opposite-field events but far below important ones like the WM Phoenix Open (59 points). LIV called it “long-overdue” but criticized the top-10 cap as “unprecedented,” as it would deem 11th place equal to last.

Although there are complaints, this could be a strong selling point for LIV Golf. Until now, there have been no points awarded for its events, which has been affecting golfers’ world rankings. However, there’s hope for some to earn points and even create a path to major events.

Brandel Chamblee is a vocal LIV critic. He initially opposed points in January 2026, calling LIV an “exhibition” lacking earned status and qualifying. He even said that giving LIV Golf world ranking points is “laughable.”

However, when the announcement came out, he took a turn on his comments. He supported OWGR’s decision through social media. The Golf Channel analyst said that points are fair as rankings should measure performance, not govern eligibility.

Brandel Chamblee’s revelations underscore the evolving dynamics between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf, hinting at potential reconciliations and shifting allegiances among top players. As stars like Reed, Koepka, and possibly Rahm and DeChambeau navigate their paths, the coming months could reshape professional golf’s competitive landscape.