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Exodus of golf's top stars from the PGA for the Saudi rebel tour shows the power of the kingdom's cash

Bill Bostock   

Exodus of golf's top stars from the PGA for the Saudi rebel tour shows the power of the kingdom's cash
Sports2 min read
  • Saudi Arabia's new and highly controversial LIV Golf tour began in the UK on Thursday.
  • The PGA Tour, immediately suspended 17 members, including Phil Mickelson, for taking part.

The abandonment of the PGA Tour by a slew of top players in favor of a new Saudi-backed competition shows the country's quest to be a major sports player is paying off.

Since coming to power in 2017, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has worked to make the kingdom an entertainment heavyweight, hosting major boxing bouts and a new Formula 1 race, and sinking millions into e-sports.

On Thursday, the kingdom's latest offering, the highly-anticipated eight-tournament LIV Golf tour, began in the UK following months of controversy which has split the sport of golf in half.

LIV players argue the new tour gives them more freedom, while their colleagues say they're money grabbing.

Current world number eight Rory McIlroy, who has not joined the LIV tour, said on Wednesday that those playing in the event were doing it for "boatloads of cash." The Americans Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson have been paid $200 million and $150 million respectively, according to reports.

But the sheer number of players choosing to shun the traditional PGA Tour in favor of the Saudi offering shows that golf's status quo is no match for Saudi money and the chance of fresh competition in a sport dominated by routine and tradition.

In an attempt to claw back some authority, the PGA Tour, professional golf's main organizer, on Thursday suspended 17 players who had joined the LIV tour.

Pros like Mickelson, Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, Graeme McDowell, Louis Oosthuizen, and Charl Schwartzel were suspended, while others, like Dustin Johnson and Kevin Na, had already resigned from the PGA Tour in order to join LIV.

The players had "decided to turn their backs on the PGA Tour by willfully violating a regulation" and that "the same fate holds true for any other players who participate in future Saudi Golf League events in violation of our regulations," said Jay Monahan, the PGA Tour members' commissioner.

Stars like McIlroy and Tiger Woods have stuck with the PGA Tour. By doing so, Woods had turned down a "mind-blowingly enormous" offer in the "high nine digits," according to LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman, a retired pro golfer.

Every time Saudi Arabia has hosted or backed a sporting event in recent years, those who participate are accused of validating its human-rights record which, despite drastic improvements in recent years, are still poor.

When asked about the 2018 murder of the Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi — which US intelligence agencies concluded was likely ordered by Crown Prince Mohammed — Norman said: "Look, we've all made mistakes and you just want to learn from those mistakes."

But as Saudi Arabia continues to bankroll new sporting opportunities to investors, players, and fans, it's getting harder for the kingdom's critics to be heard.

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