• Loading stock data...
Friday, October 31, 2025
Want a chance to win $250 and free FOS gear? Take our quick reader survey. Take the survey here
Law

LIV Golf’s Patrick Reed Sues Golf Channel, Brandel Chamblee

  • Reed alleges “personal attacks” by Chamblee led to “emotional distress” in lawsuit that seeks more than $750M in damages.
  • Reed’s former attorney sent Chamblee a cease-and-desist letter in 2020.
Michael Madrid-USA TODAY Sports

LIV Golf’s Patrick Reed filed a defamation lawsuit against Golf Channel and network analyst Brandel Chamblee in a Texas federal court on Tuesday that seeks more than $750 million in damages.

The lawsuit alleges that Golf Channel and Chamblee worked “in concert with the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour” to “maliciously cause a hostile workplace environment for Mr. Reed.”

“These induced personal attacks have in turn harmed his performance at tournaments and events, despite his excellent record, which record would be even much greater without the disruption and emotional distress caused by these personal attacks,” Reed’s attorney Larry Klayman wrote in the civil complaint filed in Houston. 

The lawsuit takes particular aim over Chamblee’s “blood money” comments about the golfers defecting the PGA Tour for millions offered by Saudi-backed LIV.

“Falsely stating that someone is playing for blood money is patently and plainly defamatory because it creates the false implication that Mr. Reed is supporting acts of terrorism and/or human rights violations,” the lawsuit states. “Mr. Reed has never accepted ‘blood money,’ and in no way supports terrorism and/or human rights violations, or murder.”

The feud between Chamblee and Reed isn’t new. Reed’s former attorney sent Chamblee a cease-and-desist letter two years ago. 

A spokesperson for NBC Sports — which operates Golf Channel — declined comment on Wednesday.

Courthouse News was the first outlet to report the lawsuit. 

The claims are numerous: 

  • The lawsuit alleges that Chamblee “has shown himself to be a disciple of the ‘Skip Bayless’ school of sports analysis—the fundamental tenet of which is that it is more important to be loud than it is to be correct.”
  • The “longstanding pattern and practice of maliciously defaming” Reed included a 2019 segment where Chamblee said on air that Reed’s “ego is as big as Jupiter.”
  • Chamblee “went so far as to defame and smear Mr. Reed’s morals and ethics” at the 2021 Farmers Insurance Open when Reed took a free drop that Chamblee criticized. 
  • After Reed left for LIV Golf in June, Chamblee said that players who defected the PGA Tour “are showing us that they are the greediest, most self-serving, self-interesting, willfully blind players in the world of golf today.” 

The lawsuit is the latest LIV Golf-related legal action taken on behalf of the Saudi-backed series’ players. 

Earlier this month, Phil Mickelson and 10 other LIV Golf players filed an antitrust lawsuit against the PGA Tour. Talor Gooch, Hudson Swafford, and Matt Jones, plaintiffs in that federal case, also sought a temporary restraining order in order to play in the FedEX Cup Playoffs, but the trio were denied the injunction last week.

Klayman, a right-wing activist attorney, is most notable for filing so many lawsuits against Bill Clinton during his presidency that he became an inspiration for a character on NBC’s “The West Wing.” He also filed a lawsuit in an attempt to keep Barack Obama off the 2012 ballot in Florida that was dismissed.

In 2020, Klayman was suspended from practicing law for 90 days by the District of Columbia Court of Appeals after the body ruled he “flagrantly violated” ethics rules.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Aug 25, 2022; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Close up view of the ball and club of Scott Scheffler during the first round of the TOUR Championship golf tournament.

From Third Tier to $1M: Michael Brennan’s Surprise PGA Tour Win

The 23-year-old won his first professional start on the PGA Tour.

As the NFL, NBA, and NHL Go Global, The Masters Is Looking..

The tournament’s chairman touted new qualification measures.

YouTube Stars Help Bring Back Golf Channel’s ‘Big Break’

The show will return in 2026 after an 11-year hiatus.
January 8, 2023; Maui, Hawaii, USA; Matt Fitzpatrick hits his tee shot on the 11th hole during the final round of the Sentry Tournament of Champions golf tournament at Kapalua Resort - The Plantation Course.

PGA Tour Cancels $20M Season Opener After Moving Out of Maui

The 2026 season will now begin a week later at the Sony Open in Honolulu.

Featured Today

September 21, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; NFL commissioner Roger Goodell before the game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Arizona Cardinals at Levi's Stadium

NFL Fall Meeting: 7 Big Topics Among Team Owners 

Media, facilities, and labor highlight some of the key areas of concern.
Ohio State Buckeyes running back Isaiah West (32) runs the ball in the second half at Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025 in Madison, Wisconsin
October 25, 2025

NIL Has Birthed a Third-Party Cottage Industry—and It’s a Mess

There’s no limit to how much players can make from NIL deals.
Christie's
October 21, 2025

Lou Gehrig’s $4M Jersey and the Exploding Sports Memorabilia Market

An ultra-rare sports collection is about to hit the auction block.
@chef__tezz/Instagram
October 19, 2025

Inside the NFL’s Private Chef Network

Private chefs are the unsung architects of player performance.
Multiple streaming services appear on a Roku TV.

Disney, YouTube Settle Suit Over Poached Exec With Deep ESPN Ties

A carriage dispute between Disney and YouTube remains ongoing.
FuboTV
October 29, 2025

Disney’s Fubo Deal Closes After DOJ Ends Antitrust Review

The deal creates the sixth-largest pay-TV company in the U.S.
Oct 25, 2025; Martinsville, Virginia, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Kyle Busch (8) before NASCAR Cup Series Xfinity 500 Practice and Qualifying at Martinsville Speedway.
October 29, 2025

NASCAR Star Kyle Busch Sues Pacific Life Over $8.5M Insurance Scam

Busch says he lost $8.58 million from Pacific Life.
Sponsored

How HOKA is Reimagining the NIL Relationship

TNT Sports is going all-in on college athletics—bringing fans closer and giving brands a powerful new way to connect.
October 29, 2025

Rozier’s Lawyer Says Missed 2023 Games Cost Him Shoe Money

Rozier had a Puma deal through the end of the 2022–23 season.
October 28, 2025

The $80 Million F1 ‘Crashgate’ Case Heads to Court

Massa placed second to Lewis Hamilton in the 2008 drivers’ championship.
Terry Rozier
October 24, 2025

NBA Strongly Denies Quietly Suspending Terry Rozier in 2023

Brian Windhorst appeared to walk back his comments Friday morning.
Rozier
October 23, 2025

Terry Rozier and Chauncey Billups Will Fight Gambling Cases

Both disputed prosecutors’ versions of events Thursday night.