John: Finally tonight...
The intersection of sports and
geopolitics.
Today was the final round of the
first ever LIV golf series in
London.
The new competition is backed by
the Saudi government and its
leader crown prince Mohammed bin
Salman.
Saudi Arabia's human rights
record has been criticized over
a number of issues, including
the war in Yemen, the treatment
of lgbtq people and the murder
of "Washington post" columnist
Jamal khashoggi.
Now khashoggi's fiancée is
weighing in, saying the
participating golfers should be
banned from major tournaments.
"Usa today" sports columnist
Christine Brennan is here to
talk about this.
Thank you for being with us.
First off, just the basics.
What is this new tournament and
why is it so controversial?
Christine: What's happened is a
man named Greg Norman, major
champion winner from the past,
has been working for quite a
while with Saudi leaders and
certainly Saudi money to come up
with an alternative golf series
to the PGA tour.
This I know means is that
competitive in terms of the
actual number of players.
It is much smaller, only 54
holes.
But it is all about the money.
And what has happened the last
few weeks, 17 PGA tour players
have now been suspended at the
PGA tour because they have
decided to play in the LIV golf
series.
It started in London, ending
today, and there will be
tournaments around the united
States, and there are several
others.
It is almost an exhibition.
It is not leading to anything.
It has a team competition and it
is different than what we are
used to.
But with all of that Saudi money
, they are making quite a splash
and the controversy as you
described because of the
connection with the murder of
Jamal khashoggi and many other
transgressions and terrible
things they have done, it is
gaining all of the attention
that these golfers, many of them
Americans, including Phil
Mickelson and others, decided to
be in business with the Saudis.
John: Is money the main
motivation?
Christine: Absolutely.
It is certainly not the quality
of the competition because they
are leaving the great
competition.
They are leaving the PGA tour,
the best players in the world,
and going on their own.
It's almost like retirement.
They play and there is no
consequences if you play poorly,
and they are getting so much
money up front -- sure people
have seen, potentially hundreds
of millions of dollars of
advance money.
The prize money almost doesn't
matter, although that is huge as
well.
That is certainly one of the
reasons for the criticism.
John: The pj suspended the
players who participated in
this.
What does this mean for golf
moving forward?
The P.J. Doesn't set the field
for next week's U.S. Open -- PGA
doesn't set the field for next
week's U.S. Open, but what are
the implications going forward?
Christine: It's a crisis for
men's golf.
It is a broadside because of the
money the Saudi's have and the
controversy inherent with taking
Saudi money.
You've got one of the biggest
names in the history of the
sport, Phil Mickelson, who was
decided to leave the PGA and do
this.
Golf doesn't need a civil war,
and yet it has come upon them
and it is something they have to
deal with.
And yes, the U.S. Open, which is
in Boston next week, they are
going to allow the Saudi players
to play because they have
already qualified.
The question on the table is the
British open in a month and the
masters next April, will they
allow these men taking Saudi
money to play in their
tournaments?
If they do, the Saudi guys can
say I can make all of this money
and still come back and play the
majors.
This is a big problem for golf
structure.
The chickens have come home to
roost because all of these years
of elf being so incredibly --
both being so missing on
cultural issues, now the fact
that they seem to have no spine
and no leadership that can
really clampdown, now they have
to deal with something they have
never had to deal with before.
John: Beyond golf, refer to this
as sports washing, Saudi
Arabia's reputation.
What do these players say when
they are asked about the Saudi
much less the killing of the
Washington post columnist.
Christine: There are talking
points that have been revealed,
that they have been told what to
say when they are asked these
questions inevitably by
journalists in London or
wherever.
I will see them at the U.S. Open
and have to ask these tough
questions as well.
Phil Mickelson talks a good
game.
He says of course the killing of
Jamal khashoggi is
reprehensible.
Then he goes into, but we will
help grow the game.
That is ridiculous.
They will help grow his bank
account.
That is really the sports
washing.
Obviously I am a columnist and
this is my opinion, but there is
no doubt that the idea that they
will do good things is all about
trying to help the Saudis.
John: The families of the
victims of 9/11 are now speaking
out.
Christine: They are.
There is reporting about that
today in the New York post, that
they sent a scathing letter to
Phil Mickelson and the others,
basically how dare you take this
money and be part of anything
that was part of the terrible
tragedy, the Saudis leading the
way on the attack on 9/11.
I'm sure other people would say,
Saudi Arabia had a tournament
recently, the lpga played there.
A tournament is one week.
This is Phil Mickelson going
into business with the Saudis.
This is part of being part of
the Saudi government and
investment.
It is much more than just
playing somewhere where they put
the tournament that week.
This is a choice he has made to
go into business with these
people.
John: Christine Brennan, thank
you.
Christine: John, thank you.