7/25/2023 0 Comments Saudi mocks bidenNow LIV Golf is here and doesn’t appear to be going anywhere. That, it turns out, was a monumental misread. At this time last year, this was all a distant rumor, one that many, including the PGA Tour, dismissed. The next is slated for Friday through Sunday at Trump Bedminster (N.J.). LIV is presently two events into an eight-event inaugural season. ![]() The common refrain is the same, keying on the country’s human rights record, ties to the 9/11 highjackers, restrictions on women, severe LGBTQ+ repression, the killing of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi and other atrocities. In addition to questions surrounding their professional futures and eligibility to play majors, along with wavering popularity and fleeing sponsors, all involved with LIV have faced the oft-repeated assertion that the entire venture is a form of “sportswashing.” The theory goes that Saudi Arabia is using golf (among other things) to overshadow perceptions of its place in the modern world. They’ve done so with varying degrees of explanation, but no matter what’s been said publicly, the ultimate draw is one and the same - massive payouts, generational wealth.īut there’s been a price. Numerous notable pros have joined LIV, including 10 of the top 50 ranked players in the world. Read more: How the PGA Tour, LIV Golf shockingly came together to change pro golf The game’s four majors, along with the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup, are caught somewhere in the middle. ![]() In earmarking a reported $2 billion from its $620 billion Public Investment Fund (PIF) to back LIV Golf, the Saudis have sent the professional game spiraling into its most tumultuous period in modern history. It’s also, today, the unlikeliest disruptor imaginable in the sport. Yet, eight decades later, the country is home to 14 courses.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |