Jim Souhan
The Ryder Cup is bringing a lot of people to Minnesota who are very good at their jobs. Hazeltine National this week will contain many of the world's best golfers, event coordinators, agronomists and sports journalists.
I would like to welcome the superstars of golf to our fair state by making them angry.
I think Brandel Chamblee is the best in America at what he does.
That should do it.
If you're not a golf geek like me who finds the analysis of the game almost as compelling as the playing of it, you may not know Chamblee. He was a pretty good tour pro who lost his card in 2003. He won one event on the PGA Tour. He also graduated from the University of Texas with a degree in speech communication.
He has melded his skills and interests in his current career, as the lead studio analyst for the Golf Channel.
Chamblee possesses expertise, but so do a thousand other golfers. What sets him apart from the average golf analyst, and from so many who fail to do the job properly while covering other sports, is fearlessness.
Golf is too often a closed society — one reason it is heartening to see Hazeltine become a celebrated international golf venue. Hazeltine has proven throughout its history that it is as unstuffy and open-minded as any major championship course. Hazeltine broke ground half a century ago with its openness to Jews and women. It is a club with a history of which we can be proud.
