‘A dangerous precedent’: Brandel Chamblee has response for Morikawa call-out

Brandel Chamblee says Collin Morikawa’s act not to talk to the media after last week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational was setting “a dangerous precedent” for himself, and hinted at a sense of entitlement. 

Paul McGinley, meanwhile, seconded the latter point, then had a thought on players’ interaction with reporters in general.

“It’s not all about smiley faces and everybody winning,” he said. 

The comments, said Friday on Golf Channel, continued a back-and-forth between Morikawa and Golf Channel analysts Chamblee and McGinley, and longtime pro Rocco Mediate. It was sparked last Sunday, when Morikawa bypassed talking to the media after finishing second at the Arnold Palmer, which drew the ire of Chamblee and McGinley, also former players, and Mediate — and their thoughts led to an unprompted reply by Morikawa on Friday after his Players Championship second round.

“I just want to add one more thing. I might bite my tongue after saying this, but to the Brandel Chamblees, to the Paul McGinleys, to the Rocco Mediates of the world, I don’t regret anything I said. You know, it might have been a little bit harsh that I don’t owe anyone, but I don’t owe anyone.

“I respect the fans. I’m very thankful for them. I’m grateful. It makes me emotional, but it’s just — it hurts to hear people say this, and especially you guys, because I finished the round and I went to go sign for 10 minutes, 15 minutes for all the people after. Not a single person from media went to go follow me because, I don’t know. But that’s me.

“So for people to be calling me out is — it’s interesting. It just, it doesn’t show anything. I mean, look, I get what you guys are saying. But I was there. I was signing for every single person right after the round, whether they wanted it or not. I finished second. They could care less. But yeah, I’m going to leave it at that, all right? So thank you, guys.”

On Friday night, Morikawa’s comments were shown on Golf Channel, and Chamblee and McGinley were asked to respond. 

“It’s interesting that he called myself and Paul and Rocco about it,” Chamblee said. “It wasn’t us. He didn’t say no to us. He said no to the fans. He said no to the sponsors. Saying no to the PGA Tour. He’s saying no to his fellow players who do these interviews.” 

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The analyst singled out Jack Nicklaus and Nancy Lopez as players who talked after defeats. 

“Everybody’s tuned in and engaged,” Chamblee said on Golf Channel. “Golf’s never been better. We’re all in. The purses are ungodly high and there’s a sense that there’s an entitlement, that they don’t owe anybody anything. And he voiced what a lot of people suspected too many Tour players felt.

“It’s not true of all of them. A lot of them are great with the media and give us these interviews afterwards. But it sets a dangerous precedent. And if he really does feel that way, that’s fine, it’s his opinion. I have mine. He has his. But I think he’ll regret it if he carries on turning down the media after he loses because he’s so good, he’s going to have many more painful losses. He’s going to have many more wins, too, but it’s just part of the game.”

McGinley furthered the “entitlement” thought, saying that it’s “a view from a lot of the public.” 

“So it’s a word of caution to the players more than anything else that, you know, don’t come out and say something like, I don’t owe anybody anything because that does not sound good,” he said on Golf Channel. “Maybe it was a wrong choice of words, but don’t say anything like that. 

“It doesn’t sound right and it’s not what the public want to hear because ultimately, at the end of the day, the public are the ones paying higher prices to come to events. The public are the ones being denied all the best players coming together more regularly in terms of the top events as the product of golf has become diluted. And the media is a prism for all of that.”

McGinley also named a player. 

“Probably the most memorable interview that I can remember in professional golf was one from loss, not victory,” he said. “And it was Rory McIlroy in a Ryder Cup in Whistling Straits, when he jumped up at the end of, you know, a poor performance from Europe up there. And that’s raw emotion and it humanized Rory and it humanized golfers. And even though it’s a hard thing to do, it’s a very, very positive outlook for professional golfers.

“It’s not all about smiley faces and everybody winning. There’s got to be give and take for everybody.”

Notably, McIlroy did not talk to reporters last year after finishing runner-up at the U.S. Open. 

As for Morikawa, he started Saturday’s third round of the Players Championship two back of the lead.