Brandel Chamblee’s work on Golf Channel is among the most polarizing in golf. While some feel he doesn’t boast the credentials to pontificate about the best players in the world, others feel that his well-researched opinions bring some much-needed drama and interest to the sport.
Regardless of the way you feel about Chamblee, what he did on Monday in Scotland is to be admired. The Golf Channel lead analyst packed up his suit and hair gel from the set of Live From The Open and traded them in for spikes and slacks as he was one of seven to qualify for this week’s Senior Open Championship at St. Andrews.
The 56-year-old Texan shot a 2-under par 69 at Scotscraig Golf Club — ironically the same course he qualified out of for the 1995 Open Championship — to earn medalist honors in the 145-man field.
Chamblee bogeyed his first hole, but turned things around with a five-hole, 5-under par stretch. Although he bogeyed four of his last seven holes, a birdie on his 18th hole of the day allowed him to share low man honors with American John Inman and English amateur Robert Maxfield.
Chamblee, who hasn’t played competitively since 2008, will make his PGA Tour Champions debut at the Old Course and will be joined by fellow Golf Channel analyst Gary Koch who co-medaled at his qualifier in Lundin.
“I love doing my job, but I want to see if I can make full use of all the time I’m off,” Chamblee told Golf.com’s Sean Zak when Zak caught up with him on a driving range near Carnoustie last week. “I just want to see if I’m able to put to use all the things I’ve been studying for years and years and years. And use myself as a guinea pig.”
I don’t know why the guys get so upset when I critique their swings, this is like getting free lessons. Don’t worry @Keegan_Bradley I got your back on air. https://t.co/NA1nI5Lycp
— Brandel Chamblee (@chambleebrandel) July 22, 2018
