Golf legend Lee Trevino sends scathing remarks on LIV Golf: “I think it’s dead”

LIV Golf's future is up in the air with the pending merger of PIF and the PGA Tour, and golf legend Lee Trevino isn't sure there's much hope for them. Despite having a few brand-name golfers and recently getting a TV deal with FOX Sports, Trevino believes they're on their way out.

Per Brandel Chamblee, Trevino said:

"I think it's dead."

Chamblee unsurprisingly shared the quote. Despite a recent softening and a hope that the merger gets done, he has been one of the loudest detractors since day one. He's never been particularly kind to LIV or its players, so it's not surprising that he's involved.

Chamblee recently added his own fuel to the fire. The two sides are negotiating, but the golf analyst believes the PGA Tour has all the leverage. He said on X:

"And why in the h**l does the tour NEED to bring LIV players back???? Sure I miss a few of them but it’s not like any of them were Steve Jobs to Apple… none of them moved the needle and collectively they can’t scratch out interest in the golf world…meanwhile the tour is killing it."

Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka and others, in Chamblee's mind, are good players worthy of attention, but they weren't the driving force behind the PGA Tour's success, a success that has continued in their absence.

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Brandel Chamblee calls out LIV Golf players

Brandel Chamblee doesn't think LIV Golf players made the wisest choice. In the wake of the tour withdrawing its bid for OWGR points (a battle it has been losing since the very beginning), Chamblee spoke up.

Brandel Chamblee ripped LIV Golf (Imagn)

He said that it's a little ironic that players went to LIV to "play less" but are now going out of their way to get more points to qualify for the Majors. He specifically pointed out Joaquin Niemann's attempts to do so.

He continued via Bunkered:

"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. 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 (in 2023), missed two cuts and finished 34th in the other last year, so turns out he’s not as good as they said he was."

There is now a LIV Golf exemption to some Majors, but they still face a slightly harder battle to get into Major tournaments, which is why they've gone out to some DP World Tour or International Series events to get some ranking points or earn direct qualification.