A huge battle between those who want to turn the world golf board upside down and those who want to protect it has finally begun. The LIV Golf Invitational Series (hereinafter referred to as LIV Golf), sponsored by the Saudi Arabian sovereign wealth fund (PIF), will start its first tournament at Centurion Golf Club in London on the afternoon of the 9th. 48 people, including Dustin Johnson (USA), the world’s No. 1 player, legendary Phil Mickelson (USA), Sergio Garcia (Spain), Louis Oosthuizen (South Africa), Lee Westwood (England), and Kevin Na, a Korean-American, will participate in the competition. Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland), who has been critical of fellow players participating in LIV golf, pointed out, “It’s just such players,” but many PGA Tour players are agitated.
Johnson, who has won 24 PGA Tour titles, including two majors, said in an interview ahead of the opening game of LIV Golf on the 8th, “I will return my PGA Tour membership.” “I’m going to focus on LIV golf for my family,” he said. “The world is changing. I look forward to the day when I can play again on the PGA Tour,” he said. Johnson is said to be paid 억100 million for joining LIV Golf. Kevin Na announced his withdrawal from the PGA on the 6th, and Garcia and Oosthuizen also gave up their participation in the PGA. On the other hand, the U.S. PGA Tour, led by Commissioner Jay Monahan, is constantly sending a strong warning message that “Players participating in the new league will be banned from the PGA Tour.”
Recently, the PGA Tour reportedly said through agents that even players wishing to challenge the second-tier tour could suffer disadvantages if they participate in LIV golf.
(Source from Reuters)Why is the PGA Tour so tough? Until recently, LIV Golf called itself ‘Super Golf League’ and ‘Premier Golf League’. If the top players create the top league where they play and dominate the golf platform, they can take the lead in golf around the world and huge income, including broadcasting rights enjoyed by the PGA Tour. On the contrary, the PGA Tour, which used to be the center of world golf, is quickly degenerating into a minor league.
Australia’s golf legend Greg Norman, who leads LIV golf, mocked, “We are startups and have a long-term vision,” adding, “The PGA Tour is afraid of competition.” Ahead of the first LIV golf tournament, he was confident that “a big change will occur on the day the prize money is divided.”
LIV Golf recently gave up its broadcasting rights and expanded its territory by allowing broadcasters around the world to broadcast this year’s competition for free. In Korea, SBS Golf, MBC Sports Plus, and SPOTV Golf & Health will also broadcast. LIV Golf will hold unlimited promotional exhibitions, including broadcasting on its website, YouTube, and Facebook.Although he was rejected, money is the most powerful weapon of LIV golf, which is said to have offered Tiger Woods a billion dollars. LIV Golf, which will host eight tournaments this year, will have a huge money feast with 48 players, 25 million dollars in total prize money and 4 million dollars in prize money. This is about twice as much as the current PGA championship prize It is a competition that will be held in three rounds without missing the cut, and even if you come in last place, you can receive a prize of 120,000 dollars. The final match is a team match, with $50 million (about 62.77 billion won) at stake.In fact, it can’t help but be attractive to professional golfers.In terms of total size, the PGA Tour, which will be held with a total prize money of 482.6 million dollars in 47 tournaments this year, is ahead. However, the total prize money for LIV golf, which will host only eight tournaments, is $255 million (about KRW 320.15 billion). It is confusing who is David and Goliath in this fight. This is because Saudi sovereign wealth funds with assets of $600 billion are behind LIV golf.Oil Power Money has already acquired several clubs in the English Premier League and is showing its power even in the French league.
The size of the Players Championship, which boasts the most prize money on the PGA Tour, is less than the LIV tournament with a total prize money of 20 million dollars and a prize money of 3.6 million dollars. In addition, if the PGA Tour fails to pass the cut, there will be no prize money and travel expenses.
The U.S. Sports Illustrated recently said, “Most players seem to want to listen to the proposal of LIV golf,” adding, “If there is enough profit, I am ready to leave the PGA Tour.”However, the U.S. and British media are criticizing Saudi oil money’s impure intentions every day. Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund is chaired by Saudi Arabia’s real power Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman, as chairman of the board of directors. It is believed that he is developing a strategy of sports washing (image washing through sports) through golf.
(Source from Reuters)In 2018, Jamal Khashoggi, a journalist from Saudi Arabia’s Washington Post, was kidnapped and killed at the Saudi consulate in Turkey. After he was killed, a U.N. investigation team and U.S. intelligence authorities blamed Prince Bin Salman for writing articles critical of the royal family. Criticism is mounting over players who betray “American values” for money, with articles strongly criticizing Johnson and other players participating in the “Saudi Event” on the 2nd in USA Today.It will hold its first tournament this week in the U.S., the home of the PGA.
The LIV series will host its second tournament at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club in Portland, Oregon, for three days from Thursday (local time). The LIV series, launched with huge capital power under the auspices of the Saudi Arabian sovereign wealth fund (PIF), will open the competition three weeks after the opening match at the Centurion Club in St. Alburn near London.
It is the first competition to be held in the U.S., the main stage of the PGA Tour, which has been in conflict since the LIV series’ appearance. Starting with this competition, four competitions will continue in the United States, including Bedminster, New Jersey, Boston, Massachusetts, and Chicago, Illinois, until September.
Like the opening game, 48 people will participate in the tournament and play 54 holes in the third round without a cut. There will also be a team match of four players.The players are much more spectacular than the opening game. Bryson DeChambeau, a leading long hitter in men’s golf, decided to play in the LIV series during the opening game, and Patrick Reed (USA), who has nine PGA Tour wins, including Brooks Koepka, who won four major tournaments alone, was also announced.Pet Perez, who has won three PGA Tour titles,
Rookie Matthew Wolf (U.S.), first and second-in-command of Mexican golf, Abram Anser and Carlos Ortiz, also chose to go to LIV one after another. Following the PGA Tour’s ban on LIV players from participating in their competitions, the DP World Tour also banned their players from participating in the LIV tournament and imposed fines, but the players’ departure seems to continue.Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson (USA), the leading figures in the LIV series, will also compete in the event. Charl Schwartz (South Africa), who won the opening game and won $4.75 million (about 6.1 billion won), including the top prize in the team event, will try to win two consecutive games.
EJ SONG
ASIA JOURNAL
