Although golf has long been a classic pastime that rarely receives national spotlight, the sport has been thrust into a tumultuous sea of political controversy. How has the sport seemingly divided the Republican Party on big business and foreign affairs policies in a matter of days?
Enter LIV golf: the Saudi-backed golf tour ready to challenge its American counterpart.
The Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) Tour has had a monopoly over the professional golf industry since its founding in 1929. Unlike most sports leagues, the PGA players’ salaries are solely based on prize money and sponsorships rather than a set annual pay, resulting in a large income imbalance among professional golfers as only the top 150 golfers make a substantial profit.
The LIV golf tour is a different story. In each tournament, the last-place finisher receives $120,000 per tournament, while the winner receives $4 million. LIV also has a set salary, issuing large sums to big-name golfers. This year, Tiger Woods was offered upwards of $800 million, and Phil Mickelson signed a $200 million contract, instantly dubbing him the highest-paid athlete in the world.
Although LIV Golf seems like a great idea, it has attracted controversy. A handful of LIV players have filed an anti-trust lawsuit against their competitors, claiming that the PGA tour tried to illegally stifle competition. Even though the PGA is technically split between two companies (one that runs the US tournaments and one that runs the European), these companies are colluding, allowing Jay Monohan, Tour commissioner, to run the PGA like a monopoly. LIV golfers were not able to compete in two of the PGA majors this year, the British and US Open, due to the synchronized boycott of LIV players in that tournament by the two companies. Also, LIV players including Bryson Dechambeau and Phil Mickelson claimed that the PGA suspended players who even weighed the option of playing on the LIV tour.
Although it seems as though the PGA is a corrupt monopoly, and LIV golf is great for the players and the game, other aspects are quickly overlooked. The LIV golf tour is linked with the Saudi government and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who ordered the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, a Washington Journal columnist. Also, when asked about the 81 people who are executed by the government every day in March, bin Salman stated that “he doesn’t look back.” LIV golf and the Saudi government behind it are clearly trying to sports wash, essentially using sports to clear their tarnished reputation and boost their foreign relations with “blood money.” To many government officials’ disgust, former president Donald Trump also gave his support to the new Saudi-backed league, as two of his golf courses have been kicked off the PGA tour. While some Republicans hop on the Trump train once again, others are calling on Congress to discuss LIV golf violation of the Foreign Agents Registration Act, as the tour failed to reveal its ties with the Saudi government. As of right now, there seems to be no right side to be on: support the corrupt American monopoly or support the pro-competition but human rights violations Saudi LIV tour?
