Brandel Chamblee has fired back a blistering retort to LIV Golf star Anthony Kim’s scathing attack on the golf analyst for his U-turn on PGA Tour-PIF negotiations. 

Kim, who made his return to professional golf on the Saudi backed LIV Golf circuit earlier this year, unleashed a shocking assault on the Golf Channel presenter Friday, calling him a ‘p*ssy’ and a ‘talentless fool’ after his LIV Golf U-turn.

The 61-year-old retaliated with an equally brutal retort to Kim’s claim that he is ‘disliked by most people in the golf world’. 

‘This is about as inaccurate as a lot of Mickelson’s drives,’ Chamblee began, quote-tweeting Kim’s rant, ‘and sadly ironical coming two tweets after you asked for advice on raising your daughter that you would refer to someone as a female body part in a juvenile attempt to denigrate them. 

‘It’s clear that you were not offered disability for your pithy takes. As for your criticism of me saying a deal with the Saudis is the best deal for golf right now, it’s something I’ve said recently, because I don’t think the Saudis are going to turn away from the game and they will continue to be a poaching threat and dilute the product of the PGA Tour. 

Brandel Chamblee has fired back a blistering retort to LIV Golf star Anthony Kim’s attack 

LIV Golf’s Kim unleashed a shocking assault on the Golf Channel presenter Friday

The analyst branded Kim’s rant as inaccurate as [Phil] Mickelson’s drives’

‘It’s the sad reality of you and your brethren on the LIV tour willingly dealing with a murderous dictator for profit so that he can hide his atrocities, that golf has had to try to figure out how to mitigate the influence of MBS, PIF and LIV in the otherwise philanthropical and merit based world of professional golf. 

‘Now why don’t you get back to doing what you formerly did best, which is to wow the world with your talent. 

‘I don’t like LIV for a lot of reasons, but I certainly enjoyed your golf and would love to see you playing anything like the semblance of the golfer you used to be.’

Kim took a 12-year hiatus seemingly disappearing from the game amid struggles before returning on the LIV circuit earlier this year. 

He opened up on the woes he endured, including multiple surgeries and addiction, in a sit-down interview with LIV’s David Feherty last month. 

And the former golf prodigy hinted at his struggles once again as he issued another veiled dig at Chamblee following the analyst’s response. 

‘Good morning all. What an amazing way 2 wake up w all these amazing messages,’ Kim wrote in a lengthy statement alongside a screegrab of an Instagram post about Chamblee’s U-turn. 

‘Couple facts u [sic] may or may not know. I have had struggles in my life [with] many things. I take full responsibility for my problems as [no one] made those decisions but me & I will address them individually when I feel it’s the right time [for] me. I continue to live everyday [with] gratitude of being alive and a father as my experiences have taught me tomorrow is never promised. That responsibility drives me to do better in every aspect of my life. 

The 61-year-old brutally retaliated, slamming Kim for his association with LIV’s Saudi backers

Greg Norman has been one of the most polarizing figures in golf after leading LIV’s breakaway

‘To address my last post there is no anger on my end toward [Brandel Chamblee] but just giving my opinion as he did about me joining LIV. I understand I was given an amazing opportunity @livgolfleague & will continue [to] stay patient & work hard everyday to do my best. I accept people having their opinions as I chose [to] do this public job and haven’t done it well yet but I accept the challenge. 

‘[Brandel Chamblee] blocks everyone on X if [you] disagree [with] him so I stand on my previous statement & am glad he will continue to keep watching. To all the real supporters of me & my family thank [you] & I appreciate the support more than [you] know.’

Former pro-turned-TV star Chamblee has been one of LIV Golf’s most vocal critics, regularly using his platform to talk about Saudi Arabia’s human rights record and the country’s sportswashing attempts.

In the last 24 hours, though, Chamblee has shocked the world with a complete U-turn, telling The Golf Channel that he feels now is the time for the PGA Tour to make a deal with PIF and complete a long-awaited merger.

Speaking on The Golf Channel earlier in the week, Chamblee said of golf’s civil war: ‘The PGA Tour is in this pickle, like it or not, but do you want to compete with someone who’s not gonna go away (LIV), who can outspend you (PIF)?’

He then added: ‘Every move they make that makes their Tour better, deletes your Tour and causes more division within the Tour. 

‘So the time is now, to Rory’s point about making a deal, I wouldn’t have said that a year ago… but it is the better end of the bargain.’

In the aftermath of his TV comments, Kim – one of LIV’s newest players – went on a bizarre rant on social media, taking aim at Chamblee.

Kim has struggled since his return to professional golf and is yet to finish inside the top 50

The former golf prodigy took another veiled dig at the former-pro-turned-analyst 

Chamblee is best-known for his work with The Golf Channel, and was recently named as one of NBC’s top analysts for the upcoming US Open at Pinehurst.

Kim, meanwhile, recently ended his 12-year hiatus from professional golf to join LIV, but it has not been plain sailing for the American.

So far, he has failed to finish inside the top 50 in five starts on the 54-player tour. He is next due to play in Houston on June 7.

Meanwhile, it was revealed earlier in the week that Rory McIlroy will play a part in the ongoing negotiations with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, despite not making a return to the PGA Tour Policy Board.

The Northern Irishman had looked to make his way back to the policy board and replace the outgoing Webb Simpson after resigning in November amid frustrations over the role. 

However, his return was shut down by his peers with the World No 2 stating that ‘old wounds had re-opened’.

Yet, while the door to McIlroy’s return to the board has been firmly shut, the 35-year-old will play a role in the ongoing talks with LIV Golf’s Saudi backers regarding a potential multibillion-dollar investment in PGA Tour Enterprises, serving on the transaction committee. 

The PGA Tour announced Thursday that former Valero Energy Corp. CEO Joseph W. Gorder has been unanimously elected by the PGA Tour Enterprises board of directors to serve as its inaugural chairman. 

Kim took to social media to call Chamblee a ‘p*ssy’ and a ‘talentless fool’ in a blistering post

Tiger Woods is said to be one of the player directors to vote against Rory McIlroy’s return 

As part of his role, Gorder will also serve on the transaction subcommittee, which the Tour confirmed consists of liaison director Joe Ogilvie, Fenway Sports Group founder and principal owner John W. Henry, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan, and golfers Adam Scott, Tiger Woods and McIlroy.

‘I’ve already had calls with that group,’ McIlroy said of the subcommittee following his opening round of 67 at the Wells Fargo Championship.

‘I had a really good hour and a half Zoom with those guys on Sunday, we went through a 150-page doc about the future product model and everything.

‘Yeah, I’m not on the board, but I’m in some way involved in that transaction committee. I don’t have a vote so I don’t, you know, I don’t have I guess a meaningful say in what happens in the future.

‘But at least I can, I feel like I can be helpful on that committee, and that was sort of a compromise for I guess not getting a board seat.’