Greg Norman, the figurehead of the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Series, has defended the competition after widespread criticism from high-profile figures across the sport.
Golfers such as Norman, Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson who have chosen to join the breakaway series have received criticism because of the human rights abuses carried out by the Saudi regime. In the US, the famed sportscaster Bob Costas offered a withering assessment of the LIV Series. “This is Saudi blood money,” he said last week. “We know all we need to know about the royal family and what they have done. It’s not just [Jamal] Khashoggi, it’s not just the ongoing oppression of women and gays, they’re directly or indirectly tied – according to US and British intelligence – to the 9/11 event.”
The PGA Tour has banned golfers who have joined the LIV Series. During an appearance on Fox News on Saturday, Norman said the decision was hypocritical given the tour’s own links with Saudi Arabia.
“Look, if they want to look at it in prism, then why does the PGA Tour have 23 sponsors within the PGA Tour doing 40-plus billion dollars worth of business with Saudi Arabia? Why is it OK for the sponsors? Why is it OK … that there’s a Saudi sponsor, Aramco, the largest sponsor of women’s golf in the world? Why is it OK for them? Why is it not OK for these players? Will [PGA Tour commissioner] Jay Monahan go to each and every one of those CEOs of the 23 companies that are investing into Saudi Arabia and suspend them and ban them? … The hypocrisy in all this, it’s so loud. It’s deafening.”
Rory McIlroy, who has been dismissive of the LIV Series, recently took a shot at Norman, saying he had derived particular pleasure from passing the Australian’s total of PGA Tour wins. However, Norman said golf had been happy to deal with Saudi Arabia for a number of years.
“The European PGA Tour ... [has] a golf tournament, the Saudi International, that’s still in existence since 2019,” Norman said. “And during that Saudi International, there were PGA Tour players who were given rights and waivers to go play there. So to me, if golf is good for the world, golf is good for Saudi, and you’re seeing that growth internally; it’s extremely impressive.”
This month Mickelson was forced to defend himself after families of 9/11 victims attacked his decision to join the breakaway league. Norman insists the league can bring benefits to golf.
“I saw the value and what golf can bring around the world,” he said. “So from there I said: ‘Yes, this is a great platform and it’s a commercial operation.’ We’re in it for a reason: to make golf and grow golf on a successful level and on behalf of the players – they’re independent contractors. Give them an opportunity to be able to expand their wealth at their choice. But also at the same time, maybe our platform is a little bit better because it gives them more time with their family, like there was Charl Schwartzel with his wife and kids. Their platform gives them that opportunity and it is a choice.”
After its opening event in London, the series moves to the US with tournaments in Portland and Bedminster. The Bedminster course is owned by Donald Trump, currently under investigation for his role in the 6 January attack on the US Capitol.
