Golf analyst Brandel Chamblee has called out players on the PGA Tour for not giving Rory McIlroy the 'support that he needed' while leading the fight against the Saudi-backed LIV Golf.
McIlroy emerged as the PGA Tour's unofficial mouthpiece in speaking out against LIV after the breakaway league first broke onto the scene.
He previously embraced the role and was regularly asked for his opinions on the latest developments around golf's bitter civil war.
Others also gave their views on the matter, but none more so than McIlroy did.
Rory McIlroy has softened his stance against LIV Golf
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But it clearly began to take a toll on the Northern Irishman, who surprisingly stepped down from the Policy Board in November last year.
Chamblee has also not been shy in airing his anger at Saudi Arabia's attempts to ' buy the game and run tournaments to obfuscate their atrocities'.
The Golf Channel felt sorry for McIlroy as he felt the four-time major champion was often on his own in airing his views.
And he's called out a few of the top players on the PGA Tour for not backing McIlroy up on some of his more stronger views.
"I felt like Rory didn’t get the support that he needed," Chamblee told Golfweek.
"I wouldn’t go so far as to say that players were selfish.
"But I felt like Rory was out there and was a force against the source of the money for LIV, and he was a formidable source for the PGA Tour, and he didn’t get the support from any of the players.
"I didn’t hear Jordan Spieth being vocal in support of him. I didn’t hear Justin Thomas. I didn’t hear Scottie Scheffler. I didn’t hear Xander Schauffele.
"I didn’t hear any of them as forcefully as Rory was speaking out on the issue.
Brandel Chamblee feels more players should have supported Rory McIlroy
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"It was like he was taking most of the heat if not all of the heat, and I think after a while, I don’t know it to be the case, I haven’t talked to Rory, but I think after a while, it was 'listen, I’ve done everything I can do and I’m not getting any support, so I’m going to bow out. Why is it up to me to fight this whole battle myself'?
"I would have loved to see more players come out and speak on behalf of the PGA Tour or just the traditions of the game and the foundation of the game and talk about how where the game has gone over the last couple years has been bad for professional golf.
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"It’s been great for them from a financial standpoint, but they’re alienating the biggest stakeholder in the game of golf, which is the core fan."
McIlroy has since taken a softer stance against LIV since stepping back from his role with the Policy Board.
He conceded earlier this year that he had 'changed his tune' on LIV players returning to the PGA Tour having previously called for them to face lifetime bans.
