'You Didn't See Jack Nicklaus Dropping F Bombs' - Brandel Chamblee Condemns Modern Golfers For On-Course Behavior

Player behavior is a hot topic right now, with Joaquin Niemann the latest to suffer at the hands of the USGA code of conduct, but that's not a bad thing.

Brandel Chamblee has been discussing the way players act, in particular their foul language and propensity for throwing clubs in anger, and he thinks it's about time punishments were handed out.

With Niemann given a two-stroke penalty in the first round of this year's US Open, perhaps players will think twice before they lash out in frustration.

Chamblee reflected on the legendary players of many decades ago, insisting that the kind of behaviour we see today was simply not a thing in the past.

"I never saw Jack Nicklaus throw a club. Never heard him yell an F bomb. Never heard a profane word from him on the golf course," Chamblee told Golf Channel.

"Never saw Palmer do it. Never Tom Watson. Pick your player. Greg Norman, all the bad losses he had, he never threw a club, never swore. Say what you like about Phil Mickelson, but I’ve never seen him throw a club or drop an F bomb," he added.

Times have changed, though, and Chamblee seemed to suggest Tiger Woods may have been the catalyst for a new breed of golfer today.

Chamblee continued: "The same wasn’t true about Tiger Woods. One of the best players ever, we all love him, everybody got rich off him, but he was one of the most profane golfers to ever play the game.

"Nobody ever criticized him, he skated through… they did to some extent but it wasn’t prolific and he wasn’t held to account the way Wyndham Clark was last year when he broke that locker."

Highlighting the various players he has witnessed acting inappropriately, Chamblee added: "Everybody that’s playing now watched Tiger… and it rains F bombs on the PGA Tour.

"Clubs get thrown all the time. Tee markers get destroyed. Players have all the power in the world, nobody reigns them in. I always thought you would get fined for profanity on the PGA Tour, but I guess not. When you watch it’s F bomb after F bomb.

"Jon Rahm missed a putt and screamed the F word as loud as he could. I’m no prude, I’ve played golf, I understand how crazy it gets and I’ve done it, too, of course. But not if I was on TV. These guys are on video everywhere they go. They have a bigger burden than we had, but with that comes unimaginable wealth. It goes with the scrutiny."

The introduction of a new, sterner code of conduct in golf is applauded by Chamblee, who believes the game has changed for the better in the wake of some high-profile transgressions over the last year.

"Composure is a skill. And it’s lazy to throw clubs and drop F bombs when you know the world is watching. There are people watching with their kids," he said. "It’s great that the code of conduct has been passed and that it’s sending a message to the players."

"What Sergio Garcia did at Augusta National, it sent a message," Chamblee stated. "Everyone drew a line last year at the US Open, with Wyndham Clark, and Rory McIlroy tearing up a tee marker. These guys have run amok and it’s great that the code of conduct has been put in place."