Australian golf officers are focusing solely on their very own bumper summer time schedule amid revelations Greg Norman’s Saudi-backed insurgent tour is planning to stage a minimum of one occasion right here subsequent yr.
Whereas is but to publicly decide to the breakaway LIV Golf league, Australia was included in its preliminary 2023 event schedule launched in a single day.
The Saudi-backed collection introduced a 14-tournament plan for subsequent yr, with 12 established crew franchises and an opportunity for gamers to both be promoted or relegated by means of its collection of Asian Tour occasions.
There are plans for tournaments in Australia, North and Latin America, Asia, the Center East and Europe, with LIV boss Norman saying the complete schedule shall be launched later.
An Australasian tour spokesman on Thursday instructed AAP it had not been consulted about any LIV golf tournaments being held within the nation.
The spokesman mentioned, regardless, they had been extra intent on forging forward with greater than 10 tournaments this summer time, together with the long-awaited return of the Australian Open following the cancellation of the previous two editions due to COVID-19.
LIV Golf organisers mentioned their tour wouldn’t compete with the majors, worldwide crew occasions or heritage occasions subsequent yr.
What’s LIV golf?
Norman, 66, was introduced because the chief government in October final yr of the US$24 million ($35.5 million) LIV Golf event.
The LIV Golf competitors describes itself as “golf, however louder”, and based on the event web site, says it can “assist remodel it to the game it is destined to turn into.”
LIV golf runs individually to the PGA Tour, which runs the world’s greatest golf competitions.
However the PGA Tour won’t launch gamers to take part in LIV occasions, and a number of other golfers have been suspended for defecting. Australian golfer Wayne Grady referred to the impression on the PGA Tour as an “absolute shame” in a social media submit in Might.
Greg Norman holds his second Claret Jug after profitable the 122nd British Open Championship in 1993. Supply: Getty / David Cannon
Together with fragmenting the gamers’ group, Norman has drawn the ire of critics over the enterprise being financially backed by Saudi Arabia’s rich sovereign fund, the Public Funding Fund (PIF), chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Critics have accused the previous world quantity considered one of being complicit with Saudi Arabia in “sportswashing”.
What’s sportswashing?
Sportswashing is the follow of utilizing sport “as a automobile to try to overcome or change a rustic or establishment’s status”, based on the director of the Brisbane 2032 Olympics engagement at Griffith College, Caroline Riot.
Many critics have argued that by means of PIF is “sportswashing” its status amid allegations of human rights abuses.
Saudi Arabia has been the topic of criticism after journalist was murdered contained in the Saudi consulate in Turkey in 2018. Throughout his profession, he was outspoken towards the federal government. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has denied accountability for the killing.
“The problem that we see on this explicit case is the very well-known and established and high-profile human rights violations of the Saudis,” Ms Riot
Ms Riot mentioned sports activities leaders within the area have an obligation to be “ethically and morally knowledgeable” when selecting who funds their sporting improvements — or they run the chance of going through such criticisms.
“The place there are human rights violations in nations, they have to be acknowledged. Public sports activities figures shouldn’t be benefiting from earnings or taking cash from nations that actually want to scrub up their act.”
Norman has denied claims of being complicit in sportswashing, telling the Washington Publish that “each nation has acquired its cross to bear”.
“Look, we’ve all made errors and also you simply need to study by these errors and how one can right them going ahead,” he mentioned in Might when selling LIV.
“Each nation has performed horrendous issues up to now … simply have a look at America with racism, for instance, it’s simply so embedded right here, it’s simply ugly,” he additionally instructed the Monetary Occasions.
Donald Trump urges gamers to ‘take the cash’
The LIV Golf circuit has lured among the sport’s greatest names away from the PGA Tour with the promise of assured, big-money paydays and a diminished schedule.
Simply final week, former US preident Donald Trump urged gamers to “take the cash” and be part of LIV Golf, suggesting that those that stay loyal to the PGA Tour will in the end pay an even bigger value for staying put.
“All of these golfers that stay ‘loyal’ to the very disloyal PGA, in all of its completely different varieties, can pay a giant value when the inevitable MERGER with LIV comes, and also you get nothing however a giant ‘thanks’ from PGA officers who’re making Hundreds of thousands of {Dollars} a yr,” Trump wrote on the social medial platform Fact Social.
“In the event you do not take the cash now, you’ll get nothing after the merger takes place, and solely say how good the unique signees had been.”
Former US president Donald Trump with Greg Norman on the Trump Nationwide Golf Membership in Bedminster, New Jersey, on 28 July 2022. Supply: AAP / JUSTIN LANE/EPA
Mr Trump performed at a LIV Golf pro-am occasion at his Bedminster, New Jersey, course on Thursday forward of the third occasion of the LIV Golf Invitational Sequence going down on the identical course.
Cameron Smith snaps again at reporter over LIV golf query
Simply as with the LIV Golf Invitational Sequence, which launched in June, LIV Golf League will characteristic simultaneous crew and particular person play.
The 48 contracted gamers shall be a part of 12 crew franchises competing for $US585 million ($837 million) in prize purses.
Smith has been linked to a transfer to LIV in 2023 together with fellow Aussies Adam Scott and Marc Leishman.
Chatting with reporters after his British Open victory — the primary Australian in 29 years to win golf’s oldest and nice prize —
Smith snapped when the British reporter mentioned, apologetically, that he was solely asking as a result of the hearsay mill was in overdrive that the 28-year-old may be signing.
“I simply gained the British Open, and also you’re asking about that. I believe that is not good,” Smith mentioned, earlier than being pressed additional.
“I do not know, mate. My crew round me worries about all that stuff. I am right here to win golf tournaments.”
Between League occasions and Worldwide Sequence tournaments, LIV Golf will stage 25 tournaments worldwide in 2023.
Star gamers to commit to this point embrace main champions Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Sergio Garcia and Louis Oosthuizen, whereas two-time Masters winner Bubba Watson is reportedly additionally set to hitch.
World quantity 4 Patrick Cantlay on Wednesday within the US coyly mentioned that he has no plans “in the intervening time” to hitch the LIV Golf Sequence when this PGA Tour season concludes.
However he conceded the massive cash on provide on the insurgent tour was attractive.
“Yeah, I believe anytime anybody’s enjoying their occupation, cash’s a giant contributing motivator,” Cantlay mentioned.
In the meantime, American insurance coverage firm Mutual of Omaha has ended its sponsorship of Henrik Stenson after the Swede joined LIV.
Stenson, who gained the 2016 British Open, was stripped of Staff Europe’s Ryder Cup captaincy final week, hours earlier than he introduced his choice to hitch the breakaway league.
