What golfers said about LIV, Saudi Arabia, PGA TOUR prior to proposed merger

On Tuesday, the Saudi-backed LIV Golf League, founded in 2021, announced that it would be merging with the nearly century-old PGA TOUR. The two leagues have had a highly contentious relationship over the past two years as golfers left the PGA TOUR with the lure of hefty paychecks, rumored to be up to nine figures for some golfers. The PGA TOUR, in turn, banned those who left for LIV from any future PGA TOUR events.

Now, the two are merging their commercial businesses and rights into a new entity funded by – guess who – the Saudi Public Investment Fund. Accused of sportswashing (the use of popular sports to erase human rights abuses) in the past by none other than PGA TOUR golfers and board members, the Saudi Arabians have apparently met the PGA's price point and will now be the exclusive initial investor in the new merged entity.

In the past two years of heated rivalry, what have LIV and PGA TOUR golfers had to say about each other and Saudi Arabia? And will they refuse to accept this new merger?

What have golfers had to say?

“There's no room in the golf world for LIV Golf. I don't agree with what LIV is doing. If LIV went away tomorrow, I'd be super happy.” –

“And as I also said to the players yesterday, let me be clear, I am not naive. If this is an arms race and if the only weapons here are dollar bills, the PGA Tour can't compete. The PGA Tour, an American institution, can't compete with a foreign monarchy that is spending billions of dollars in attempt to buy the game of golf. We welcome good, healthy competition. The LIV Saudi golf league is not that. It's an irrational threat; one not concerned with the return on investment or true growth of the game.” –

“They're scary mother (expletives) to get involved with. We know they killed (reporter Jamal) Khashoggi and have a horrible record on human rights. They execute people over there for being gay.” –

“I can't wait to leave this tour.” –

“They've gone down their path and I think we have been pretty consistent that we're going down ours, and I don't see that happening. Haven't, and I don't.” –

“They shouldn't be here, but again that's just my opinion.” –

“I don't need to answer that question.”

Nothing like finding out through Twitter that we're merging with a tour that we said we'd never do that with.

– Mackenzie Hughes (@MacHughesGolf) June 6, 2023

  
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