By Ken Reed
Cameron Smith won an exhilarating British Open golf tournament at the home of golf, St. Andrews, on Sunday, outdueling crowd favorite Rory McIlroy, and young stars Cameron Young and Viktor Hovland. It was compelling theater as the four elite golfers pursued the world’s biggest golf title.
But now, the beauty that was a week at St. Andrews, will be blemished by the resumption of the LIV exhibition golf tour, where golfers like Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau will go back to pursuing dollars at all costs. Those four, and several others, will leave Scotland to resume their new jobs as high-priced PR agents for a murderous Saudi Arabian regime that has committed numerous human rights atrocities, including the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was killed and dismembered by a bone saw, according to American intelligence services.
The LIV Tour is funded by the Public Investment Fund, a PR arm of the government of Saudi Arabia. According to U.S. intelligence experts, Khashoggi was murdered on the orders of crown prince Mohammed bin Salmon, who heads the Public Investment Fund, which signs the checks for Mickelson, et al.
Instead of the LIV Tour, it should be called the Sellout Tour. Apparently, Mickelson and the other LIV golfers (read: Saudi PR agents) are willing to do anything, for anyone, if the money is right. They are nothing more than paid advocates for a government with a despicable human rights record. They have sold their souls and golf legacies to help the Saudis in a reputation-laundering scheme. Their true characters have been revealed. In effect, by signing on the LIV dotted line, these golfers gave their stamp of approval to the abusive and murderous actions of their new bosses.
The terrific golf action and sportsmanship on display at The Open at St. Andrews this past weekend was a welcome break from the greed-at-all-costs ugliness that is the LIV Tour.
But now, sadly, we must return to pro golf’s current reality, and that includes LIV Golf and probably more sellouts signing up to receive blood money.
— Ken Reed, Sports Policy Director, League of Fans
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