The inaugural LIV Golf Invitational tees off at the Centurion Club in London this week, with a mishmash field lining-up to sell their sporting legacies for a small fortune.
For those not following, LIV is a rebel golf tour running in direct competition with the PGA and DP World Tours. Australian golfing legend Greg Norman was named their CEO in October last year and has been hot on the campaign trail attempting to ‘spread the good word’ and poach the world’s best.
The truth is that LIV is funded by Public Investment Fund (PIF) – often referred to as the ‘financial arm’ of the Saudi Arabian Government. The Chair of PIF is Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who has more human rights violations to his name than Norman had weeks at world number one. Bin Salman is attempting to rebrand his regime and sweep years of repression under the rug through a variety of reforms and enterprises. One being the purchasing of sporting clubs and manufacturing golf tours in a bid to improve his ghastly reputation through a practice known as ‘sportswashing.’
Embed from Getty ImagesLIV’s ability to persuade Norman to operate as their ringleader caps off a sensational fall from grace for the ‘Once Great White Shark’. The chiselled, bronze icon of Australian sport we once adored is now a man corrupted by ego and consumed by his own image and brand. Norman has an axe to grind and is determined to win his long standing feud against the PGA Tour at all costs. His willingness to brush-off the historical murders and human rights atrocities of his employer as “…we’ve all made mistakes”, is proof that Norman has completely lost touch. A person is often known by the company he keeps and considering his time spent with bin Salman and Donald Trump in recent years, the demise of his moral compass should come as no surprise.
This ridiculous circus is what Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and the rest are now in business with. They are partners in this. Their names are all over this. This is their legacy. https://t.co/4h2yBZhIbG
— Christine Brennan (@cbrennansports) June 7, 2022
No amount of public relations spin can conceal that LIV it is a fabricated organisation built under false pretences. It has not been created for the growth or love of the game like some would have you believe. It is an unabashed splash of cash employed to create a distracting shiny jewel in the Saudi crown.
The 48 man field where only four golfers are ranked inside the world’s top 50 are not worthy of the exorbitant $25M tournament prize purse on offer. The $4M prize awarded to the winner is far greater than any of golf’s four Major Championships, and the golfer who finishes last will still pocket a staggering $120K just for turning up. The money earned is not a fair representation of the product they will deliver. It has not been dictated by market demand and the sponsorship and broadcast deals which normally partner high paying elite sport.
Dustin Johnson chose money over human rights. What a damn shame to watch these pro golfers sell themselves to the highest bidder, regardless of what they’re enabling.
— Charlotte Clymer ????️⚧️???????? (@cmclymer) June 7, 2022
Literally the only bonafide elite golfer in the field is Dustin Johnson and they are paying him $125M just to join – this is more than Tiger Woods has made on the golf course in his entire career. If LIV had any value or substance outside of a monetary sense, it would not require such ridiculous sums of money to convince the 15th ranked golfer in the world to jump ship.
LIV will last for as long its benefactors are willing to allow, but it will never conquer. It will never see the day where it achieves any real history or traditions. It will not garner meaning beyond the pursuit of a ludicrous pay day. It will always remain a soulless endeavour.