If you're attending the LIV Golf tournament, remember it's all blood money
Inhumane treatment of women. The murder and dismemberment of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. 9/11.
These are only a few of the horrendous things the Saudi government is responsible for.
The same Saudi regime is now sponsoring the LIV Golf tour. Actually, I’m not sure tour is the correct term to describe this exercise. It’s eight events spread out over four months, with less than fifty golfers competing in each three round/fifty-four hole tournament. Plus, LIV Golf is unsanctioned so no world ranking points are awarded to its participants.
However, there are major names in the golf world that left the PGA Tour to join LIV Golf. They include Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, Cameron Smith, Sergio Garcia and Bubba Watson. All of them have been banned and lost their membership in the PGA Tour.
So, knowing all of this, what was the draw of joining up with LIV Golf? They will tell you that it’s trying to make professional golf better for the players, sponsors and fans. But, here’s the real answer:
MONEY!!! Actually, blood money.
Pure and simple, it’s all about the dollars. The golfers were given massive signing bonuses. Mickelson’s was a reported two hundred million dollars. $200,000,000! That was before he even swung a club for the Saudi regime. When asked about them, Mickelson said:
“They’re scary motherfuckers to get involved with. We know they killed Khashoggi and have a horrible record on human rights. They execute people over there for being gay.”
And still, Phil had no issue taking their money. I guess you can overlook a lot of things for two hundred million, even if it’s blood money.
Plus, the purses for their tournaments are much higher than you’ll see at a regular PGA Tour event. The champion takes home a cool four million bills. Not too shabby for three days of work.
Yes, this is all generational money, but at what cost? This same money is used by the Saudi regime to engage in activities that have them shunned by most of the free world.
LIV Golf is Saudi’s latest attempt at sport washing. It’s a way to look like responsible actors. And the golfers themselves, while publically saying they only play golf and have nothing to do with the atrocities, are being played for stooges by the Saudis. High-paid stooges, but still stooges.
LIV Golf comes to the Chicago area this weekend. The event is being played at the Rich Harvest Farms course in Sugar Grove. I checked out Stubhub to find the cost of tickets on the resale market. Daily tickets are going for five bucks. A three-day pass for the entire weekend is only twelve dollars.
It sounds like a great deal. Only a few dollars will let you see some of the world’s best golfers play eighteen holes. Just remember that your money goes into the pockets of the Saudi government. But, if you’re still thinking about going remember this while making your decision:
Khashoggi! 9/11!
BLOOD MONEY!!!