Phil Mickleson, Dustin Johnson

 

by Michael Bridge

Golf has been given a massive wake-up call by the Saudi-backed LIV Golf tour that has taken golf from the back pages to headline news.

Given Saudi Arabia’s notoriously poor human rights record, the LIV Golf players have been heavily criticised for their involvement in the tournament. 

 

That said the Liv Tour and its golfers have been heavily targeted by sports media around the world.

 

This is when Formula 1 also holds races in Saudi Arabia, as do major boxing events, and even the DP World Tour formerly the European Tour, ( Affiliated to the PGA Tour) and the Ladies European Tour have hosted golf tournaments there too without any criticism.

 

LIV Golf Tour

 

LIV Golf (/lɪv/) is a professional golf tour financed by the Public Investment Fund, the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia and run by Australian Greg Norman. 

The name LIV is a reference to the Roman numeral for 54, the score if every hole on a par-72 course were birdied and the number of holes to be played at LIV events.

Forty-eight players took part in the inaugural event including Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson.

South African Charl Schwartzel eventually became the first winner on Saturday at the Centurion Club near St Albans England, taking home a whopping US$4.75 Million.

PGA suspension

Everything got heated though when the PGA Tour on Thursday suspended the membership of seventeen rebel golfers for their involvement in the controversial LIV Golf Invitational Series.

They suspended these golfers for participating in the LIV Golf Invitational Series without the body’s permission after the opening event of the controversial, Saudi-backed tournament got underway in the UK on Thursday.

 

In a statement released after LIV Golf London teed off at Centurion Club in Hertfordshire, PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said the players had been banned for “choosing to compete this week without the proper conflicting event and media rights release”.

Monahan added: “Their participation in the Saudi Golf League/LIV Golf event is in violation of our Tournament Regulations. The same fate holds true for any other players who participate in future Saudi Golf League events in violation of our Regulations.”

However, in anticipation, nine of seventeen banned golfers had already resigned PGA Tour membership.
Graham McDowell said, “We should be allowed to play where we want”

McDowell, who revealed that he had resigned his PGA Tour membership “about 30 minutes” before his tee time on Thursday, said, “The Tour has to do what they feel is necessary. I don’t think it’s healthy for the sport. We’re here because we believe we’re independent contractors - we should be allowed to compete and play where we want to, all over the world.”

Meanwhile, Ian Poulter said he planned to challenge his suspension. “I will appeal for sure,” he said. “It makes no sense. Having two Tour cards and the ability to play golf all over the world, what’s wrong with that? I believe I’ve been given permission in the past to play in events around the world.”

 

In a statement, LIV Golf, which is led by former world No. 1 golfer Greg Norman, branded the PGA Tour’s announcement “vindictive”, declaring: “It deepens the divide between the Tour and its members. “

Lucrative LIV Golf Series under fire over Saudi backing

The lucrative, eight-leg LIV Golf Series, which is supported by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), offers its participants potential prize money of $4m per event - considerably more than the $2.7m in prize money available to the winner of The Masters and the PGA Championship. 

 

There is no cut so even the last player in the field picked up a cheque for $120,000 just for completing all fifty-four holes at an event.

 

Over half the 148 players taking part in this week’s PGA Tour’s Canadian Open missed the cut.

 

These players actually lost money participating as they still had to pay for travel expenses and for their caddies.

 

The price money there was US$8, 700,000 still substantial, but well below the US$25,000,000 on offer to the Liv Tour players.

 

Charl Schwartzel

 

The question is should players be free to play anywhere?

 

It took Charl Schwartzel over six  years on the PGA tour to earn what he earnt on Saturday in England in three days!

 

If you were offered by a rival company a massive pay rise, I think most of us would take the offer.

 

No one is condoning the Saudi Arabia’s notoriously poor human rights record, however in this case Golf needed a big wake up call, and these middle east funds are helping make the changes.

 

Of course, the news is controversial, but when the Liv Tour arrives at the Stonehill Golf Club near Bangkok on 7th-9th October, I am sure everyone will be trying to buy tickets to watch the stars pay again in Thailand for US$25,000,000.
 

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Not me. Was watching the final round of the premier event live this past weekend. BORING. Total snoozer. 

I enjoyed the LIV London event, kinda exciting watching to see who would win $4m, 2nd place was $2m+. I liked the presenters and coverage, could view on YouTube or livegolf.com the field will only get better now

I turn the golf on when I cant sleep.

4 hours ago, webfact said:

I am sure everyone will be trying to buy tickets to watch the stars pay again in Thailand for US$25,000,000.

Apparently from what I read ticket prices were so high for the first event that they resorted to finally giving them away in various forms to get people to watch - which from the coverage I saw seems to have worked in this instance -

https://www.golfmonthly.com/news/5-things-we-learned-from-the-liv-golf-invitational-london

BS, everyone wants a ticket ? who are they kidding ?

If the players are getting good pay out of a golfing circus, fine. They have every right to earn a crust.

But let's not kid ourselves, OK? There are only four championships in the world that are worth a damn as far as writing oneself into the history books goes. The Masters, US Open, British Open and US PGA.

What's next an alternative Saudi funded world championship football (soccer) to compete with the one in Qatar?

28 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

If the players are getting good pay out of a golfing circus, fine. They have every right to earn a crust.

But let's not kid ourselves, OK? There are only four championships in the world that are worth a damn as far as writing oneself into the history books goes. The Masters, US Open, British Open and US PGA.

Agree but what about Mcllroy on the last round of the Canadian Open , unbelievable . The LIV tour , how much money do these players need ? sold their souls to the devil ? utter greed .

Call me a dissenter. I enjoy watching golf, but would not pay even 30 baht to watch an event sponsored by the murderous Saudi terror state. 

4 hours ago, superal said:

Agree but what about Mcllroy on the last round of the Canadian Open , unbelievable . The LIV tour , how much money do these players need ? sold their souls to the devil ? utter greed .

There's the Canadian Open, Australian Open, Japan Open, South African  Open etc. While they are all worthy championships to win, IMO they just don't have the cachet of the majors. That's why they are called the majors.

We don't know the financial circumstances of even the big name players. FAIK they have a coke habit, or have blown all their winnings at the racetrack. I seem to remember one of his fellow professionals saying " Dustin is so dense, light bends around him."

1 hour ago, Lacessit said:

There's the Canadian Open, Australian Open, Japan Open, South African  Open etc. While they are all worthy championships to win, IMO they just don't have the cachet of the majors. That's why they are called the majors.

We don't know the financial circumstances of even the big name players. FAIK they have a coke habit, or have blown all their winnings at the racetrack. I seem to remember one of his fellow professionals saying " Dustin is so dense, light bends around him."

and Mickleson looses big time at the casinos , they say . The LIV , not getting much TV coverage , only on YouTube I believe , no mention on the BBC sport page on the golf calendar and sponsors not interested .  Your tip for the PGA Open on Thursday ? Will be interesting as the new LIV players will be taking part .

4 minutes ago, superal said:

and Mickleson looses big time at the casinos , they say . The LIV , not getting much TV coverage , only on YouTube I believe , no mention on the BBC sport page on the golf calendar and sponsors not interested .  Your tip for the PGA Open on Thursday ? Will be interesting as the new LIV players will be taking part .

McIlroy might double up, he has one US Open under his belt already. Cameron Smith is a dark horse, but the US Open usually is won by players with length off the tee, due to the punishing rough.

I suspect the LIV tour will fade away when the Saudis run out of patience and money. Most of the LIV field are has-beens or wanna-be's, only a few real name players.

4 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

Call me a dissenter. I enjoy watching golf, but would not pay even 30 baht to watch an event sponsored by the murderous Saudi terror state. 

What he said.

28 minutes ago, superal said:

and Mickleson looses big time at the casinos , they say . The LIV , not getting much TV coverage , only on YouTube I believe , no mention on the BBC sport page on the golf calendar and sponsors not interested .  Your tip for the PGA Open on Thursday ? Will be interesting as the new LIV players will be taking part .

It's been on BBC 

7 hours ago, Lacessit said:

If the players are getting good pay out of a golfing circus, fine. They have every right to earn a crust.

But let's not kid ourselves, OK? There are only four championships in the world that are worth a damn as far as writing oneself into the history books goes. The Masters, US Open, British Open and US PGA.

They aren't joining LIV to make history and by the way they are still playing in the majors

I find it quite amazing there so much pearl clutching with the LIV Tour when, as the article says, F1, major boxing events, the DP World Tour, the Ladies European Tour and FIFA regularly do sporting events in Saudi Arabia. Also, the World Cup is being held in Qatar, a country that regularly jails it's gay community and treats foreign workers as virtual slaves. And of course Saudi Arabia's human rights abuse doesn't stop the UK and US from selling it boatloads of arms it then uses to kill Yemani civilians. Where's the uproar about all that? 

I don't agree with these players joining the tour for what is essentially blood money as I think it's driving a schism in the PGA tour which I watch regularly but I also think they are getting an unfair roasting when you consider how actual governments work hand in hand with Saudi Arabia, ignoring their human rights abuses, the genocidal wars they are involved in and their assinations of those who speak against them (Jamal Khashoggi for example). But a couple of golfers try to cash in...........uproar.

The hypocracy knows no bounds.

To your second paragraph; Right on.

Edited June 13, 20224 yr by Tropposurfer

The Saudis are not likely to run out of money all that soon. But, the players may decide it is not worth any amount of money, to be supporters of a state that supports terrorism, as we know they do, despite the desperate lies, and pleas to the contrary. And in addition to providing direct support, there is alot of private money donated by rich Saudis, who are inspired by their extremist brand of Wahhabism. Does the state attempt to stop this? On the surface yes. In reality? I have long consider Saudi Arabia to be a true enemy of the West. 

 

The Saudi government has been the principal financial backer of Afghanistan’ s odious Taliban movement since at least 1996. It has also channeled funds to Hamas and other groups that have committed terrorist acts in Israel and other portions of the Middle East. Worst of all, the Saudi monarchy has funded dubious schools and “charities” throughout the Islamic world. Those organizations have been hotbeds of anti‐Western, and especially, anti‐American, indoctrination. The schools, for example, not only indoctrinate students in a virulent and extreme form of Islam, but also teach them to hate secular Western values.

 

https://www.cato.org/commentary/terrorist-sponsors-saudi-arabia-pakistan-china

 

On the one hand, the Saudi government is a close partner of the United States on counterterrorism. On the other hand, Saudi support for an array of preachers and non-government organizations contributes to an overall climate of radicalization, making it far harder to counter violent extremism. Both these problems are manifest today as the United States seeks to counter the Islamic State and its allies.

 

https://www.brookings.edu/testimonies/the-u-s-saudi-arabia-counterterrorism-relationship/

 

In 2008, an ex-felon and former al-Qaeda operative named Ali Ahmad Ali Hamad revealed something appalling, he said the Saudi High Commission for aid in Bosnia had hired him and other al-Qaeda members. They were supplied with vehicles and money during the Bosnian conflict to spread terror and to carry out attacks. It was not a one-off instance.

 

https://www.wionews.com/world/epicenter-of-al-qaeda-financing-how-saudi-arabias-terror-policy-backfired-343023

 

Money coming out of Saudi Arabia reportedly goes to al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), al-Qaeda central, and its affiliated groups, including Lashkar-e-Taiba, the Pakistani militant group. Groups employ a variety of strategies to receive donations and support.

 

https://carnegieendowment.org/2011/09/12/terrorism-out-of-saudi-arabia-pub-45520

 

If you were a golfer, would you want to work with this man? Sorry, but not me for any amount of money. I don't like serial killers. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I liked the world we lived in when politics played no role in sport.

If players want to play,that is their decision.

 

1 hour ago, scubascuba3 said:

They aren't joining LIV to make history and by the way they are still playing in the majors

It's become somewhat confused. The US Open is an open event. OTOH, the Masters is by invitation only, plus previous winners, and the PGA has suspended the 17 PGA tour players that joined the LIV tour. I assume that means they can't play in the PGA, what happens with the British Open is anyone's guess.

I thought it was an event from South Africa there was so many of them.

 

Anyway the Canadian Open final round awesome and before that watching that young Linn Grant winning the DP World Tour by 9 shots was great to watch.

 

And to cap it off :

Thongchai Jaidee became the first Thai winner in PGA Tour Champions history Sunday, closing with a 4-under 68 for a one-stroke victory in the American Family Insurance Championship.

 

LIV- what was that?

9 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

It's become somewhat confused. The US Open is an open event. OTOH, the Masters is by invitation only, plus previous winners, and the PGA has suspended the 17 PGA tour players that joined the LIV tour. I assume that means they can't play in the PGA, what happens with the British Open is anyone's guess.

as of yesterday the LIV players think they can still play in the majors, that could change of course. I think they should try to play other events even asian tour otherwise form will go down only playing 8+ events a year

3 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

as of yesterday the LIV players think they can still play in the majors, that could change of course. I think they should try to play other events even asian tour otherwise form will go down only playing 8+ events a year

https://progolfweekly.com/dustin-johnson-applies-for-membership-on-european-dp-world-tour/

2 minutes ago, Thailand said:

https://progolfweekly.com/dustin-johnson-applies-for-membership-on-european-dp-world-tour/

If DP World accept DJ and others there will end up being big issues with the PGA, it's getting complicated 

14 hours ago, webfact said:

when the Liv Tour arrives at the Stonehill Golf Club near Bangkok on 7th-9th October, I am sure everyone will be trying to buy tickets

Not everyone...

4 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

If DP World accept DJ and others there will end up being big issues with the PGA, it's getting complicated 

DJ is not smart enough to do this himself so probably the hand of LIV is masterminding this play using him as a test case.

7 minutes ago, Thailand said:

DJ is not smart enough to do this himself so probably the hand of LIV is masterminding this play using him as a test case.

Good point, it isn't clear if Poulter, Westwood and others are playing in DP World, no announcement they've been kicked out

16 hours ago, webfact said:

Of course, the news is controversial, but when the Liv Tour arrives at the Stonehill Golf Club near Bangkok on 7th-9th October, I am sure everyone will be trying to buy tickets to watch the stars pay again in Thailand for US$25,000,000.

Pay again? Freudian slip.

 

There weren't many current stars playing last week, but I fear that once they see the megabucks being thrown around by the Saudis to sportswash their repugnant regime they won't be able to resist the lure of the cash. Rather like top footballers these days, mostly mercenaries playing for the highest bidder.

Considering that the Saudi crown prince, may have shares in this LIV, I would not support it or him.

I guess if the top players are getting nearly half a million just to show up to play, is good for them being money greedy.

  Money is all these players are after.