After firing back at a sea of online commenters last week, former Golf Channel host Peter Kessler has taken aim at a man currently in one of the golf network’s biggest chairs.
Chamblee drew the ire of Kessler on Saturday with a tweet that shared the correlation between distance and the scoring average on the PGA Tour over the last four decades, arguing that “the most challenging aspect of golf is eroding, and that erosion needs to stop.”
Correlation of distance to scoring average on the @PGATOUR
1980-13%
1990-14%
2000-31%
2017-44%Correlation of accuracy to scoring average on the @PGATOUR
1980-53%
1990-48%
2000-35%
2017-12%The most challenging aspect of golf is eroding, and that erosion needs to stop.
— Brandel Chamblee (@chambleebrandel) November 3, 2018
PGA Tour player Zac Blair entered the fray first making an argument that he would like to see players hitting longer irons into par-4s and have par-5s play more like par-5s. Chamblee’s response was that it was nostalgic and not at all reasonable to expect that to happen given the advances in technology.
That’s when Kessler entered the fray, guns blazing.
You have totally lost your way. It’s embarrassing. You have a platform and you’re but a highly paid shill with no integrity. You’re in violation of the human decency code. You’re undermining the people who care about the game. And you’re acting like an ass. I’m stunned.Stop.
— Peter Kessler (@peterkessler) November 4, 2018
Chamblee didn’t take the bait, instead responding to other commenters about “The Golden Age” of golf course architecture.
“The Golden Age” is like saying silent films are better than Netflix .. a few “relevantly designed” new golf courses for major championships and a different philosophy for setups would ameliorate the problem.
— Brandel Chamblee (@chambleebrandel) November 4, 2018
Kessler then took another swipe.
Boy, you are exposing your stupidity. Stick with the heel thing since you’re a heel now. Leave the game to smarter, wiser people, which in your case is everyone. You are now a destructive, bad influence. Just go away. I’m nauseated.
— Peter Kessler (@peterkessler) November 4, 2018
Chamblee again decided to leave Kessler to his own devices and didn’t engage him. However, on Sunday evening after news of Kessler’s words began to make headlines, Chamblee did offer a parting shot.
Synthetic outrage is de rigueur as are ad hominem attacks but his words, besides being flaccid, scream desperate. https://t.co/eRLLhcrULf
— Brandel Chamblee (@chambleebrandel) November 5, 2018