Golf’s PGA Tour, the Saudi-funded LIV Tour and the European Tour are merging. The change came as a complete surprise to the golf world.
The merger of golf’s traditional PGA tour, the popular LIV tour and the European tour was announced on Tuesday. The change has caused confusion in the golf world. Many players and influential people in the golf world got the information through the media.
– This news came as a shock to everyone. Many have read about this social media. Not too many people were involved in baking that deal, a golfer who ended his playing career Mikko Ilonen stated to Urheilu.
From a critic to the company’s CEO
The LIV tour, founded with money from Saudi Arabian investors, kicked off last year, which caused the golf world to split in two. The PGA banned athletes who played in the LIV tournament from participating on the PGA Tour. The parties to the dispute have gone through legal proceedings against each other, but the agreement concluded now ends them.
Over the last two years, the PGA Tour Commissioner who has taken a strong stance on the LIV Tour Jay Monahan is the CEO of the new company. Several PGA players have criticized Monahan, accusing him of being a hypocrite. Monahan responded to the criticism he received on Tuesday.
– I accept that people call me a hypocrite. Everything I have said is based on current knowledge. I accept criticism, but circumstances change, Monahan commented to the media on Tuesday.
The pattern has caused astonishment in golf circles around the world. Finland’s number one golfer Sami Välimäki tries to focus on other things despite the shocking news.
– Yes, this came as a complete surprise to me, but it is not yet known in which direction this will change. You can’t really do anything but monitor the situation, Välimäki commented to Urheilu.
Human rights associations criticized
A year ago there was news about the controversial LIV tour, whose prize pools are the largest in golf history: 25 million dollars, or just under 23.5 million euros. In contrast to the PGA tournament, the one who comes last also clears himself a reward of more than 100,000 dollars. In addition, players have been attracted to the LIV tour by paying performance fees of millions of euros.
– Like it or not, Saudi money has been behind many sports for a long time. Golf tried to stay away from it for a while, but maybe that’s inevitable. Where the cash flows come from must be taken into consideration, says Mikko Ilonen.
According to the human rights association Amnesty, the unification of the tours is Saudi Arabia’s way of diverting attention away from the country’s human rights violations.
– The fact that this news has come as a surprise to fans and commentators is just proof of Saudi Arabia’s “sports washing”, told the BBC Felix Jakens From Amnesty UK.
Sports laundering refers to the actions of a state or an organization that uses sports to polish its bad reputation.
The Finns are satisfied
Although the unification announced on Tuesday shocked the golf world, Finnish golfers were satisfied with the resolution of the split.
– The most important thing is that some kind of agreement was reached. Nobody wants the game to be as broken as it has been for the last two years, top golfer Sanna Nuutinen stated to Urheilu.
Unlike the men’s PGA and women’s LPGA tours, the LIV tour has been exclusively for male players. The now announced unification of the tours currently affects men’s golf. According to Mikko Ilonen, the inclusion of Saudi money in golf can also be a positive thing for women’s golf.
– Since the start of the LIV tour, money has flowed into women’s golf as well. In that way, it will have a positive effect on women’s golf around the world.
Saudi Arabia has been criticized for serious human rights violations. According to a recent report, the current administration has, for example, doubled the number of executions. In addition, torture, detention of minors and show trials are common.