The Latest Breaking News from LIV

LIV has attempted to style itself as the future of golf but it remains to be seen whether it can deliver entertainment for Saudi Arabia’s sportswashing machine

All eyes had been on Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson but the highly paid star turns of LIV Golf were upstaged on the opening day of the inaugural event by South Africa’s Charl Schwartzel.

The Tour is expected to weigh in on the golfers playing in the new tournament this week.

A major shift in the world of golf could be happening with the Saudi Arabian backed LIV Golf Invitational Series seeking to compete with the PGA Tour. To lure away one of the top golfers, LIV helped set a new record for earnings.

In return for tons of money, Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, et al., are willing to overlook Saudi Arabia’s horrific record on human rights.

McDowell probably didn’t realize that his words were an unwitting explanation of how sportswashing works.

DALLAS — Unlike LIV Golf — which tees off Thursday outside London — most upstart leagues aren’t backed by the Saudi government, which murdered/dismembered a journalist and executes people because of their sexual orientation at will. Phil Mickelson’s words, by the way, not mine. The numbers back him up, though.…

Phil Mickelson has warned he won’t give up his PGA Tour membership without a fight but refused to answer whether he had been banned from the tour.

The media consultant’s moderation of Saudi-backed LIV Golf’s presser was just his latest of a string of stunts garnering negative publicity.