[ad_1]
When Greg Norman signed on with LIV Golf Investments, a new golf entity backed by the Public Investment Fund which operates on behalf of the Saudi Arabian government, as its CEO and commissioner of the Super Golf League in October, it seemed as if the landscape of men’s professional golf was changing right before our very eyes.
Rumors and speculation have surrounded some of the game’s biggest stars for months, but after controversial comments made by Phil Mickelson, as well as prized targets Dustin Johnson and Bryson DeChambeau backing the PGA Tour, Rory McIlroy dubbed the league that planned to rival the PGA Tour “dead in the water” last week.
From $100 million offers to Donald Trump’s Bedminster and Doral properties being used to host events as soon as this summer, here’s a timeline of the rise (and potential fall) of the Super Golf League.
Professional golf in Saudi Arabia
The first professional golf event in Saudi Arabia — the Saudi International — was held in 2019 as a European Tour event, just months after the death of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Since its debut, the event has been criticized as a targeted attempt by the Saudi government to “sportswash” its controversial human rights record and improve its image. In 2022, the Public Investment Fund, chaired by crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, became the event’s title sponsor.
A handful of big names have made the trip to play over the years, including Johnson, a two-time champion in 2019, 2021. Major champions like Mickelson, DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka have also been paid to play the event. After the 2020 tournament, the Saudi International moved from the European Tour to the Asian Tour schedule for 2021. Over the last year, LIV Golf Investments has committed to invest $300 million in the Asian Tour.
Because of this, Golfweek learned back in July that the PGA Tour would refuse to allow players to compete in the controversial tournament in 2022. Tour members must obtain a…
[ad_2]
Source : yahoo
