Opinion: Why do NBC's Golf Channel commentators continue ripping Phil Mickelson, LIV Golf?

This is the rhetorical “beat down,” which never seems to stop.

For months now, NBC-owned Golf Channel commentators Brandel Chamblee and Eamon Lynch have been criticizing both Phil Mickelson and LIV golf.  “Criticizing” is one definition.  Others might say the commentators have been incessantly trying to smear the reputations of both the six-time major winner as well as the upstart golf league.

Like well-rehearsed professional wrestlers, Chamblee and Lynch have been “tag-teaming” Mickelson and LIV golf on a regular basis.  Attacks that have become quite personal and mean-spirited.

The latest broadside launched by Lynch was an opinion column for USA Today’s Golfweek shockingly titled: Phil Mickelson’s Twitter bluster can’t distract from his reality as a shameless pawn for murderers.

“Murderers.”

Now, this has to do with the fact that LIV golf is financed by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund. Agents from the Saudi Arabian government were involved in the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.

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So, when Lynch refers to “murderers,” is he folding in all who work for the Saudi Arabian Investment Fund?  Or is his definition broader than that?  Meaning, is he assigning guilt by nationality to the 26 million men, women, and children who live in Saudi Arabia?

Now, as mentioned before in this space, the assassination of Khashoggi was truly obscene and reprehensible.  As are any and every human rights violation.

That stated, let’s turn our attention to the People’s Republic of China and its multi-multi-million-dollar partnerships – such as the past winter Olympics - with NBC Sports.  The same company that owns the Golf Channel.

As they continually attack Mickelson and LIV golf, are Chamblee and Lynch willing to write a column addressing the largest human rights abuse of our time?  That being China’s imprisoning, torture, and killing of thousands of Uyghurs and other Muslims - including women and children - in its Xinjiang province forced labor camps.

Because they happen to be paid by NBC Sports owned Golf Channel, does that make them – as Lynch smeared Mickelson - “shameless pawns for murderers?”

After these never-ending attacks from Chamblee and Lynch aimed at Mickelson and LIV golf, we seem to have entered “unhinged” territory.  Why are both of these men so seemingly consumed by hate when it comes to Mickelson?

Phil Mickelson addresses attacks on him, LIV golf

After Lynch’s latest onslaught, Mickelson addressed that very question: “I was right (again).  Eamon comes to Brandel’s defense. You both have an obsession with me (and LIV) that requires professional help. Wishing you both all the best with that.”

Mickelson is not the only one who has had it with these bizarre accusations.  In an interview with Golfweek, Claude Harmon III – coach of LIV’s Brooks Koepka - called out the hypocrisy of Lynch and Chamblee. 

Said Harmon, in part: “Brandel is a paid actor by NBC and Golf Channel. All he’s trying to do is get his lines and shows for the Golf Channel. He’s just trying to get lines for Brandel … for Eamon Lynch and Brandel Chamblee, who worked for NBC Golf Channel to utter the words ‘sports washing’ when the company they work for televised the last two Winter Olympics in Russia and China with the same leaders that they’ve had. It’s not like they were good leaders back then. It’s not like Putin was a good guy, right?”

As they continue to level their extreme and quite possibly libelous charges against Mickelson, LIV golf, and even Saudi Arabia, maybe Chamblee and Lynch might want to take a very deep breath and remember that oftentimes people turn to sports to escape the ugliness of politics and the real-world.

Enough.

Douglas MacKinnon is a former White House and Pentagon official and author of the book: The 56 – Liberty Lessons from those who risked all to sign The Declaration of Independence.