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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Sport
Stephanie Kirchgaessner in Washington

PGA and Saudi-backed LIV merger ‘in enormous flux’, says Republican senator

The kingdom has been accused of engaging in a relentless campaign of “sports washing” to try to shore up its image around the world.
The kingdom has been accused of engaging in a relentless campaign of ‘sports washing’ to try to shore up its image around the world. Photograph: Nick Lachance/Reuters

The proposed merger between the PGA and Saudi Arabia-backed LIV Tours in professional golf is still “in enormous flux” because the parties are facing a six-month deadline to agree the final details of a deal, according to Ron Johnson, the senior Republican senator who is investigating it.

The deal has rocked the world of golf and prompted concerns among some lawmakers and human rights activists that – if the deal succeeds – it could mark the first of many takeovers of sports leagues and other cultural institutions by Saudi Arabia.

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