Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson are the most high-profile players to commit to the LIV Golf series
(Picture: Getty Images)‘Golf but louder’ goes the slogan for LIV Golf — and whether golf likes it or not, the noise around the Saudi-backed series is becoming deafening.
This morning, 27 of the world’s top 150 and 48 players in total converged on Centurion Golf Club in St Albans for the first practice session of a week which has caused all manner of fissures even before a competitive ball has been struck. The eyes of the golfing world are on it, irrespective of your views, of which there are plenty.
LIV Golf’s CEO Greg Norman insists the eight-tournament series, backed to the tune of £1.6billion by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, is merely about giving players the option to play where and when they want.
The PGA Tour and DP World Tour (formerly European Tour) view it differently. Those playing are seen as rebels, and talks of fines and bans have been threatened. Action of sorts looks certain to follow in the wake of this Centurion week.
There is a vulgarity to the numbers being discussed. Norman revealed Tiger Woods had turned down a figure in the high nine digits to be the playing face of LIV Golf, while Jack Nicklaus was offered £80million to run it before organisers turned to Norman.
Clearly, every player has his price. For Dustin Johnson, at 13th in the world the field’s highest-ranked player, that is said to be £120m, while Phil Mickelson will supposedly pocket £24m for his participation, which was only revealed last night.
Mickelson has done more than most to put golf’s new venture on the map with his “scary motherf******” comments about the Saudi regime, which led to a mea culpa and his withdrawal from golf and wider public life.
Centurion will mark his return after a four-month hiatus and has already come with an apology press release to tie in with his late addition to the field. He said: “I am thrilled to begin with LIV Golf and I appreciate everyone involved. I also intend to play the Majors. I fully realise and respect some may disagree with this decision and have strong opinions, and I empathise with that.”
In an interview, he went further, saying: “Certainly, there’s a lot of things I regret. I made a lot of mistakes. I hurt a lot of people and I’m really sorry.”
‘Golf but louder’ will see the 48-man field brought to the opening tee in black cabs for a shotgun start taking place over just 54 holes and three days rather than the traditional 72 and four.
Organisers have promised a first-class experience for spectators, although there has hardly been a clamour for tickets on current evidence. Players took to social media to offer 100 free tickets to the first to sign up, while even the media are being offered the chance to bring guests along for free. Quite how the fairways and greens behind the ropes will look come Thursday will be another talking point.
However it plays out, it is already rocking golf’s foundations. While some star names have turned down LIV Golf’s advances, others have not. Along with Johnson and Mickelson, there lies a core of Europe’s Ryder Cup stars, in Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood.
However it plays out, the LIV Series is already rocking golf’s foundations
There are suggestions all risk a future role as a continental captain for the biennial event for shunning the DP World Tour for LIV Golf. With an average age of 45 between them and in the twilight of their careers, the pay-day on offer makes sense, and Westwood was among the few honest enough to admit that.
But those riches come with questions of sportwashing by the Saudi regime, responsible for the murder of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi and 81 executions in a single day just three months ago. Norman hardly helped the questions about the money’s source when he effectively said “we all make mistakes” with regards to Khashoggi’s death.
As for the 48 in the field, they are confident they have not made a mistake in signing up, and Norman has promised to have their backs, with the support of LIV Golf’s lawyers.
‘Golf but louder’ also runs in parallel to a three-night concert featuring, among others, Jessie J, who is, perhaps aptly for this event, best known for her UK No1 Price Tag. For all the money talk, though, LIV Golf is adamant it is here to stay.
