Golf Analyst Brandel Chamblee Questionably Claims Greg Norman Ruined Cam Smith's Career With LIV Golf

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Cam Smith had a breakout season in 2022 earning PGA Player of the Year honors to go along with four worldwide wins including The Players and The Open. Then, about a month after hoisting the Claret Jug at St. Andrews, the Aussie bolted for LIV Golf.

According to Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee, LIV CEO Greg Norman is to blame for robbing Smith of having a historic career.

Chamblee has been one of the most outspoken critics of LIV Golf harping on the idea that it's a Saudi sports washing scheme. He is the anti-LIV spokesperson when it comes to golf media and took things to a new level with his accusations of Norman ruining Smith's career.

“It’s ironic to me that it might possibly be an Aussie that will keep another Aussie in Cameron Smith possibly from ascending to a spot where he’s considered the greatest player of all time ,” Chamblee said on Golf Channel, according to The Independent. “Supplanting Peter Thomson, he had that kind of talent.

“Norman didn’t get there but could have easily supplanted Greg Norman as the second-best player of all time from Australia. That’s at least in my view where Cameron Smith was headed.

“That’s what he’s turned his back on and a lot of it has to do with Greg Norman, and Cam Smith got a lot of bad advice from his agents and other people in the game around him trying to suck him into LIV.”

Cam Smith Can't Defend His Title At The Players, But May Stil Show Up

Cam Smith had his career sabotaged by Greg Norman and LIV Golf, according to Brandel Chamblee. (Photo by Luke Walker/WME IMG/WME IMG via Getty Images)

Greg Norman's Influence On Cam Smith's Decision

While Chamblee's thoughts about Norman and other outsiders influenced Smith's decision to make the move to LIV Golf are likely accurate, Smith is also a grown man who made a business decision for himself.

READ: CAM SMITH EXPLAINS WHY HE JOINED LIV GOLF, REFRESHINGLY ADMITS MONEY PLAYED A FACTOR

To suggest Norman sabotaged Smith's career by targeting him to join LIV Golf seems over the top, even for Chamblee who is no stranger to over-exaggerating details. And this is coming from myself, who is in Chamblee's corner far more often than not.

If Chamblee does believe Norman influenced Smith's decision to the level he's insinuated, that's more of a shot at Smith's mental fortitude than anything.

Smith has been on record stating that playing more in Australia - which LIV has plans to do - was among the key factors he ultimately chose to join the breakaway circuit.

It's a shame that Smith isn't at TPC Sawgrass this week defending his title at The Players and isn't competing against the world's best players on Tour, which is the message Chamblee was dramatically trying to get across.

Then again, as a 29-year-old adult, Smith was well aware of certain consequences when he signed on with LIV Golf, Norman and Smith's team didn't sabotage the Aussie.

Follow Mark Harris on Twitter @ItIsMarkHarris

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Mark covers all sports at OutKick while keeping a close eye on the world of professional golf. He graduated from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga before earning his master's degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee. He somehow survived living in Knoxville despite ‘Rocky Top’ being his least favorite song ever written. Before joining OutKick, he wrote for various outlets including SB Nation, The Spun, and BroBible. Mark was also a writer for the Chicago Cubs Double-A affiliate in 2016 when the team won the World Series. He's still waiting for his championship ring to arrive. Follow him on Twitter @itismarkharris.