It was less than two weeks ago that Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee was embroiled in a Twitter back-and-forth with former FedEx Cup champion Billy Horschel and 12 days later, the former PGA Tour pro found himself in the mud yet again with a current Tour star.
Chamblee unceremoniously blocked 2013 PGA Championshp winner Jason Dufner on Tuesday and by the time Wednesday rolled around, Dufner was ready to react.
Kevin Casey of Golfweek.com has the full scope of Chamblee’s latest social media spat.
Jason Dufner is the latest PGA Tour player to come after Chamblee, and while he offered some similar arguments to Horschel’s, the origins and escalation here are a little more complicated.
This actually all started with a reply to a Chamblee post about upright swings, but it really had nothing to do with Dufner. Chuck Cook, the instructor behind Dufner’s rise to a major championship win and five PGA Tour titles, was receiving some criticism for his vaunted teaching reputation.
So Dufner came to his defense.
When I started working with Chuck in 2007 I was ranked 723 in the world, he took me all the way to 6th in the world twice, including 5 wins on tour and a major championship. Sometimes when you don’t know what you are talking about it’s best to shut your f’cking mouth
— Jason Dufner (@JasonDufner) November 28, 2017
It seemed like maybe there would be some more arguing there (and indeed there was), but that was essentially the end of it, and there was no way that Chamblee would get involved.
That wasn’t to be the case.
Dufner later tweeted a screenshot that Chamblee had him blocked.
Best part of my day.. when people aren’t educated in what they are saying, they run and hide from the truth. It’s to keep what they have going and not be exposed for being a fraud. pic.twitter.com/O97OHYrive
— Jason Dufner (@JasonDufner) November 28, 2017
But why? In the ensuing argument chain, Dufner did mention Chamblee at times and not in the most flattering of manners.
Chamblee, though, revealed a different motivation behind the move: Bad language.
No, I blocked him because he uses profane language. There was no dispute on my part. He and his coach are golf machine advocates, I am not, so they want to fight and cuss and yell… I’m happy to debate them any time on the merits of my and their theories.
— Brandel Chamblee (@chambleebrandel) November 29, 2017
And after Dufner realized he was blocked, he encouraged others to join in and then went into his issues with Chamblee.
Everybody seems super pumped for my @chambleebrandel block I got today… close to 200 others claiming to be blocked.. do what you can to join the club twitter followers!! You won’t be the first, but you have a chance to be the last
— Jason Dufner (@JasonDufner) November 29, 2017
He doesn’t talk to anybody on tour, any of my fellow players, caddies, coaches, etc will back that up. Never spoke to the guy, just heard him talk garbage. He is scared to be exposed
— Jason Dufner (@JasonDufner) November 29, 2017
He doesn’t talk to anybody trust me.. it’s often discussed in the locker room or dining when he happens to be on the tv talking.. my game is solid btw thanks for asking.
— Jason Dufner (@JasonDufner) November 29, 2017
@chambleebrandel sorry I said the F-word…. we cool now?
— Jason Dufner (@JasonDufner) November 29, 2017
And then when he found out Chamblee’s profanity reasoning, he went even deeper.
@chambleebrandel sorry I said the F-word…. we cool now?
— Jason Dufner (@JasonDufner) November 29, 2017
Bc that supports his agenda and gets the “hits” he needs https://t.co/JOLys9vRED
— Jason Dufner (@JasonDufner) November 29, 2017
This dude so fake… https://t.co/aB47zxYTqt
— Jason Dufner (@JasonDufner) November 29, 2017
I did use profane language.. I am not a golf machine advocate, never read the book so that’s not correct.. and I didn’t fight or yell about anything. And he isn’t qualified to debate anything on golf swing theory.. this guy is so full of himself it comical.. pic.twitter.com/IKXPZgi0nG
— Jason Dufner (@JasonDufner) November 29, 2017
@chambleebrandel thinks he knows me…. never talked to him in my life.. he just spitting whatever he wants to get “hits” this guy isn’t authentic, the stuff he talks about is all editorial and his opinions. Get some facts.
— Jason Dufner (@JasonDufner) November 29, 2017
This dude is a habitual line crosser.. and gives all those in sports journalism and media a bad name. Nothing he says is based on facts, pure editorial garbage
— Jason Dufner (@JasonDufner) November 29, 2017
The fact is @chambleebrandel continues to throw many of my friends on tour, respected teachers, and other in the golf world under the bus. In no way is he helping promote what we do, only trying to promote his agenda. And someone had to call him out on it. #nofactsonlyeditoral
— Jason Dufner (@JasonDufner) November 29, 2017
And my opinion of that is based on the facts of how this guy operates amongst his peers, work associates, and golf fan base. Trust me when I tell you this, I have the full support of many different groups of people on the Pga Tour that can support my claims about his behavior.
— Jason Dufner (@JasonDufner) November 29, 2017
Chamblee, for his part, explained more on blocking due to profanity.
I attack ideas not people and don’t use profane language when debating people on twitter. I disagree wholeheartedly with the golf machine, but that’s just my opinion, as I said they can carry on with theirs.
— Brandel Chamblee (@chambleebrandel) November 29, 2017
There is no reason to have to lower one’s standards of comportment to talk.
— Brandel Chamblee (@chambleebrandel) November 29, 2017
Because he is using profane language. Because he thinks he’s entitled to be rude and insulting without consequences.
— Brandel Chamblee (@chambleebrandel) November 29, 2017
And it’s mostly seemed to essentially conclude on this odd note:
— Brandel Chamblee (@chambleebrandel) November 29, 2017
@chambleebrandel nobody is persecuting you. You are being exposed for what you are, big difference between the two. The fact that none of your peers have come to your support speaks volumes of what I have said. My peers support every claim I have made #factnoteditoral #checkmate
— Jason Dufner (@JasonDufner) November 29, 2017
Essentially, Dufner launched at Chamblee with the same argument as Horschel. They seem to both feel the Golf Channel analyst doesn’t really talk to anybody on the PGA Tour and that brings into question his credentials for critiquing players’ golf swings.
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