NORTH PLAINS, Ore. — Brett Eagleson never expected to be here, just 20 miles west of Portland, talking about Saudi Arabia. But the son of one of the nearly 3,000 Americans killed in the largest terrorist attack on U.S. soil is determined to share his story, and Saudi Arabia’s role in it.
Specifically, he’d like to share it with the 48 professional golfers who have recently signed up with LIV, the new, Saudi-funded, PGA Tour alternative that makes its stateside debut Thursday at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club. Eagleson said those 48 have “taken the blood money,” while PGA golfers like Rory McElroy, Scottie Scheffler and Kevin Kisner — all of whom have criticized LIV — have shown they value “accountability, truth and justice.”
Controversy has surrounded LIV Golf since its inception, though the players taking checks from it continually sidestep questions about their decision to align themselves with Saudi Arabia. Earlier this week, Bryson DeChambeau said he thought “moving on” from questions about Saudi Arabia’s human rights atrocities was the best decision, while Pat Perez argued he was just “here to play golf.”
“The callousness of some of these golfers is striking,” said Eagleson, who is scheduled to hold a press conference early Thursday morning in North Plains with 10 other members of 9/11 Justice, a group of people whose loved ones were killed in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Golfers tee off Thursday afternoon at 1:15 p.m. local time.
“It’s interesting to see what money will do and it makes you wonder, where will folks draw the line? How much money will it take so you don’t care about murder or human rights?
“I guess we’ve seen what their price tag is.”
Eagleson, now 36, was 15 and a sophomore in high school when the Twin Towers collapsed; his father Bruce was last seen dashing up the stairs to help with evacuations. His remains have never been found.
Late last year, President Joe Biden declassified a 16-page FBI report that detailed Saudi Arabia’s involvement in the 9/11 attacks. Fifteen of the 19 hijackers involved in the September 11 attacks were Saudi citizens. The country was also the birth place of Osama bin Laden, the leader of al-Qaida who planned the attacks.
Eagleson said the report is proof Saudi Arabia, which has long been known for its terrible track record on human rights, “killed our loved ones.” And he wants DeChambeau, Perez, Phil Mickelson, Brooks Koepka and others to read the documents. He even brought copies.
When he sees the way LIV golfers brush off questions about Saudi Arabia’s troubling history with terrorism and human rights, Eagleson doesn’t feel sadness or pain. He’s enraged.
“The arrogance and ignorance of someone like DeChambeau is unbelievable,” Eagleson said. “If only he know half the pain and suffering that I had to deal with growing up. ‘Moving on’? I wish I could do that. I wish 10,000 other families could do that — we don’t have that luxury.”
As for the golfers’ claim that they’re merely entertainers, and just here to play a sport, Eagleson snorts in disgust.
“That’s akin to me going to a KKK rally and then saying, ‘I’m just here for the free hot dogs.’ ” Eagleson said. “Like, what are they talking about? It’s crazy.”
Eagleson understands many sports leagues have ties to a variety of shady organizations. He doesn’t argue that. But those aren’t his concern, especially right now.
“That’s not our platform,” he said. “We’re making noise about the golfers because they’re choosing to get in bed with the country that killed our loved ones. Do terrible things happen in China? Yes, but I don’t have an FBI document that says China killed my dad.”
Eagleson said 9/11 Justice, which brought 11 people to Oregon from the tri-state area, doesn’t have plans to protest the actual LIV event. He just wants the golfers here to talk to them.
“I would invite Phil Mickelson and everyone else here to have a meeting with us,” Eagleson said. “Let us walk you through these newly declassified documents that show Saudi Arabia Kingdom officials paid to help facilitate the 9/11 attacks. If, at the end of the meeting, you see the pain and hurt in our eyes and still choose to take the money, we’ve said our piece and that’s between you and your maker.
“Honestly, I don’t think Phil or any of these other guys have the courage to talk with us.”
Local leaders in Oregon angered by LIV Golf
Eagleson isn’t the only one speaking out against LIV. Before the tour made its way to Portland, 11 local mayors sent a letter to Escalante Golf, which owns Pumpkin Ridge.
“We believe that we have a moral obligation to take a stand and speak out against this event in order to protect the people we serve,” the mayors wrote. “While our local jurisdictions may not be able to prevent this event, we stand together to voice our concerns about the unwelcomed potential risks, visitors and harm this event could have on our communities.”
It’s not just Saudi Arabia’s ties to human rights abuses and 9/11 that have local leaders angry.
Earlier this week, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) of Oregon told The Associated Press, “It’s wrong to be silent when Saudi Arabia tries to cleanse blood-stained hands,” referencing the August 2016 hit-and-run death of Fallon Smart, a 15-year-old rising sophomore who was killed in Southeast Portland, just blocks from her home.
Abdulrahman Sameer Noorah, a Saudi student enrolled at Portland Community College, was facing first-degree murder charges for Smart’s death but removed his tracking device and disappeared before his trial started. Federal authorities believe the Saudi government helped him escape, getting him a fake passport and arranging for a private plane to fly him home. An Oregonian investigation published in 2019 detailed a pattern across eight states, plus Canada, of Saudi students facing criminal charges who managed to escape before their trials.
Contacted earlier this week by USA TODAY Sports, Jeff Muller, the general manager of Pumpkin Ridge, declined to answer questions about the club’s decision to host LIV Golf. Escalante, meanwhile, did not return multiple requests for comment. The Fort Worth-based golf conglomerate bought Pumpkin Ridge in 2015. Before LIV descended here, Pumpkin Ridge’s claim to fame was as the place Tiger Woods won the 1996 U.S. Amateur.
The tournament is scheduled to end Saturday. After this weekend, LIV heads to Trump National Golf Club Bedminster in New Jersey on July 29. Players who have made the jump to LIV from the PGA Tour have praised LIV’s condensed schedule, arguing it’s better for their bodies, and their golf games, if they have more rest.
Another positive that players say factored into their move: LIV’s generous signing bonuses and tournament winnings — players this week will compete for a $20 million purse, and some signing bonuses have reportedly exceeded $100 million — will allow golfers to give back to their communities.
Eagleson has an idea for where players can put their money.
“I would ask them to donate to 911justice.org,” he said.
Contributing: The Associated Press
