Brandel Chamblee goes after LIV stars Joaquin Niemann and Talor Gooch claiming they're not "as good as they say"

Golf commentator Brandel Chamblee has criticized LIV Golf's Joaquin Niemann and Talor Gooch, two of the breakaway tour’s most vocal supporters, questioning whether their talents are worth the hype. Chamblee, known for his controversial takes on important subjects, has sparked debate surrounding LIV Golf’s legitimacy with his latest comments.

Speaking to Bunkered, Chamblee disbanded claims that Niemann and Gooch belong among the top professional golfers:

“All those players joined that tour saying they wanted to play less but now, to accrue world ranking points, they’re playing more and all around the world where ranking points are available, the way Joaquin Niemann has done. And Niemann, yeah, he’s a good player, but let’s not pretend that he’s as good as they pretend he is. He’s played in 22 Majors and never even finished in the top 15. Seven missed cuts.”

The Chilean, Niemann, is tagged as one of the rising stars in golf. His recent win at the 2024 Australian Open supported the argument that LIV players have what it takes to compete at the game's top levels. Gooch's success in LIV includes the 2023 championship.

“They keep acting like he’s the next Rory McIlroy, the same way they were talking about Talor Gooch last year, who, by the way, played in three Majors, missed two cuts and finished 34th in the other, so turns out he’s not as good as they said he was,” he added.

Gooch's best finish came on T34 at the 2023 Masters.

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LIV star Joaquin Niemann to feature in 2025 Masters and PGA Championship

Joaquin Niemann has revealed he has been invited to feature at the 2025 PGA Championship. This is his second Major invite as he is also expected to play at the 2025 Masters.

The pro golfer confirmed the news in a video on his official Instagram saying:

"I got an invite to the PGA yesterday as well. So yeah it is pretty good to be able to play in all these Majors."

Last season, Niemann won twice on the LIV Golf circuit and performed well pushing Jon Rahm to the individual title. He tied for seventh in the DP World Tour Championship and fifth in the Australian Open in the last two months of 2024. He also clinched the Asian Tour's PIF Saudi International in December, automatically giving him the Order of Merit in the International Series.

The golfer is currently ranked 68th in the Official World Golf Ranking. The Masters Tournament is set to start on Monday, April 7, and end on Sunday, April 13, 2025, in Augusta, Georgia.