The Saudi International may draw glances at present but it is not really a major problem for golf’s ecosystem. It is the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Saudi Arabia’s ongoing, ultimate disruption plan.
On Tuesday morning Greg Norman, the frontman for the golf operation of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, promised that the 10-event international series on the Asian Tour was “just the beginning”. Norman will believe this, even if the general tone of his carefully controlled press conference was uninspiring. Plenty of rhetoric, very little substance. “The most compelling indicator for me is the number of calls we have had from corporations and other individuals excited about the opportunity,” Norman said. Agents of footballers are suddenly very interested in Newcastle United, too. Bottomless pits of cash tend to have that effect.
