#gregnorman

The predictable has happened with LIV Golf being merged with the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour. History buffs would be aware that Greg Norman’s last foray into pro golf tour domination with the World Golf Tour in the 1990s ended up the same way. Doing deals is the modus operandi of these organisers and the split was costing them money and tarnishing reputations. It is a good outcome for those players, like Cameron Smith, Dustin Johnson, and Brookes Koepka as they can keep the LIV money and return to the fold for majors and bigtime PGA tour events, as members of the PGA Tour. Saudi Arabia has bought its way into topline professional men’s golf and thus they have achieved their aims too.

PGA Tour Sold Its Soul Long Ago

Money speaks louder than anything else in world golf at the pointy end and has for a long time. This is why we no longer have viable national and state open championships, apart from the US and British. Everything else has been gobbled up by rapacious sponsors and the entrepreneurs involved in organising events. Instead we have the glorious Waste Management Open or the K-Mart Classic. Names like that get the blood rushing and fingers searching for the history books and yearly almanacs.

LIV Golf & PGA Tour Merger

It will be interesting to see how LIV morphs into the existing PGA and DP World golf tours. Whether any of the innovations and modifications will survive the merger? The PGA will get its stars back and the threats of expensive legal action will no longer see the lawyers syphoning off the big money. Oh what a wicked web we weave when first we set to deceive. Greed is at the heart of the mess that was fomented by Norman and his Saudi backers. Greed for power in Norman’s case and greed for even more largesse for the superstar players that signed with LIV Golf.

Sportswashing amid the hundreds of millions of dollars being funnelled into elite men’s golf by the Saudi regime did not thrill me. Perhaps, this latest merging may take some of the stink off but firms up the real nature of where the state of pro tour golf lies. Show me the money! American sports business gambled away its soul, if it ever had one to begin with, many moons ago. The fickle nature of golf itself may be reflected in the lives and behaviours of golfers like Phil Mickelson and John Daly. Easy come, easy go. ©GolfDom

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has just incarcerated a young female student for 38 years for Tweeting. Yes, the backers of the LIV tour, Greg Norman’s baby, gaol people for using social media. Saudi Arabia sentences young girl to 38 years for Tweeting. The young woman involved was speaking out on Twitter for women’s rights in the heavily censored and undemocratic fiefdom of the Saudi royal family. Earlier we reported that the Saudi regime had executed 81 human beings in one day for ‘so-called’ crimes against the state. Golfers around the world cannot ignore these horrendous injustices and this corrupt autocratic regime. Golf is a game built on integrity and fairness.

Phil "I lost $200 million" Mickelson

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Gaols Female Student For 38 Years

In my experience in the game there are two distinct types of golf professionals. I have played in plenty of pro-ams and come into regular contact with club pros via instruction and playing weekly comps. There is the pro who only thinks about himself and what things mean to his pocket. This is the guy who complains a lot about stuff when things don’t go his way. The second type of golf pro sees the bigger picture and recognises his place in the overall scheme of things. These pros take the time to help golfers of all abilities and are a credit to the PGA. Obviously the journey of the tour pro and the club pro are very different but it doesn’t take a whole lot to bring some greater awareness to how you go about your business. Sportswashing Saudis Will Own Golf In life you cannot blindly just take money from wherever without realising that there are always strings attached. There are consequences for every action, whether they manifest immediately or down the track. Ask yourself why the Saudi’s are putting up this money and why they want to be associated with elite sport in the west? What is the sense in investing billions of dollars in professional golf? Do they want to distract you and me from the murder of journalists like Jamal Khashoggi? From headlines like – Saudi Arabia sentences young girl to 38 years for tweeting? From the crimes against humanity in Yemen?

The New Home of Golf? Photo by Lara Jameson on Pexels.com The Saudi royal family are rich with oil money. Saudi oil giant Aramco is making $700 million per day in profit. A few shekels tossed golf’s way is not going to break the bank; and if short sighted golf fans are going to focus on the exploits of players in LIV golf, then, for them its money well spent on Sportswashing their image. Hey, we pay for your golf tournaments. Hey, we own your silly game of golf. Only dumb people think that you can take the money and not be bought. You take the money and you are owned.

QBE Shootout: Rory Sabbatini and Kevin Tway, with dad Bob as caddie, get hot and win!