PGA Tour Accused of Taking Saudi 'Blood Money' in Surprise Merger With LIV Golf
Summary from the AllSides News Team
The PGA Tour surprised the golf world on Tuesday by agreeing to merge with the Saudi-backed LIV Golf league, despite widespread criticism of Saudi Arabia’s human rights record.
For Context: LIV Golf was founded in 2021 with billions of dollars from a fund controlled by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Considered the country's de facto leader, the prince has been accused by U.S. officials of ordering the killing of Washington Post (Lean Left bias) journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018. Critics also cite Saudi Arabia’s alleged connection to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, involvement in the war in Yemen, and treatment of women and LGBTQ+ people. While LIV signed several high-profile golfers and attracted former President Donald Trump, others like Tiger Woods turned down lucrative offers to join, and PGA previously banned golfers who joined LIV.
How the Media Covered It: Coverage often noted opposition to the merger; CNBC (Center bias) said “a lot of people vocally disagree,” and The New York Times (Lean Left bias) said “numerous golfers hate it.” Some right- and center-rated coverage highlighted Trump predicting the merger in a July 2022 Truth Social post.
Media Perspectives: Voices across the spectrum accused the PGA of taking “blood money” from a “brutal regime” and allowing it to “sports-wash” its reputation. Meanwhile, a New York Post (Lean Right bias) sports writer argued that while PGA “sold out,” the sport of golf and golf fans benefitted from the merger.
Featured Coverage of this Story
From the Right
Saudi Arabia Purchases the Sport of Golf
On the menu today: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia effectively purchases the world of professional golf, and new evidence points to the Ukrainian government as the saboteur of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.
Selling Our Institutions
The leadership of big, prominent, influential, and popular American institutions is for sale to the highest bidder — and very often, sovereign-wealth funds of brutal regimes are the highest bidder.
After the murder and dismemberment of Jamal Khashoggi at the hands of the Saudi Arabian government, the U.S. government needed to tell the Saudis:...
From the Center
PGA Tour and Jay Monahan sold out but end result is good for golf fans
And the winner is …
Golf.
Golf and its fans around the globe who’ve grown tired of the hypocrisy that has divided the sport with the PGA Tour, threatened by LIV Golf and banning players who jumped to the Saudi-backed tour, now get to see the best players compete against each other more than in only the four major championships.
The player bans will be lifted by the PGA Tour and DP World Tour and the players will now be able to play the against each other in the biggest events —...
From the Left
The PGA Tour rolls out a blood-red carpet for Saudi Crown Prince and LIV Golf
There was a time in the distant past — that is, as recently as Monday — when the official position of the PGA Tour was that its competitor, the Saudi-backed golf tour known as LIV, was a scandalous, even odious, operation. Referring to Saudi Arabia’s horrific human rights record, PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan said last June, “You’d have to be living under a rock to not understand the implications of involving yourself with the Saudis.” But Monahan’s strong comment is now just a reminder that pencils have erasers. In news...
AllSides Picks
May 12th, 2024
May 12th, 2024
May 9th, 2024
More News about Sports from the Left, Center and Right
From the Left
From the Center
From the Right
