Golf: PGA bans Saudi tour players

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Dustin Johnson (left) and Phil Mickelson are banned from the PGA Tour

Photo: Alastair Grant/AP

The dispute over the new LIV Golf series financed by Saudi Arabia is entering the next round.

On Thursday, the Professional Golfers Association (PGA) carried out its threat and banned all participants in the controversial tournament series from their competitions.

This was announced by Commissioner Jay Monahan in a letter to PGA members on Thursday.

“These players made their choice for their own reasons, primarily financial ones.

But they can't expect the same benefits of PGA Tour membership that you can.

That expectation lacks respect for you, our fans and our partners," Monahan said in the letter to PGA Tour members.

The LIV Golf Invitational Series starts today in London and has been heavily criticized.

It is financed by the Saudi Arabian sovereign wealth fund.

The suspicion arises that the Saudi Arabian rulers want to distract with the new series of human rights violations in their own country and at the same time try to polish their image in the western world.

Martin Kaymer is also affected

Among others, US top star Phil Mickelson, the former world number one Dustin Johnson and the once best German professional Martin Kaymer, who no longer had a PGA license, are affected.

You are among the players who teeed off at the first tournament in the LIV Golf Investments series in London.

They receive extremely high entry fees for their participation.

According to media reports, Phil Mickelson collects 200 million US dollars.

Both the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour (formerly the European Tour) had turned down requests from members asking for clearance to compete this week at the Centurion Club, just outside London, where there is a $25 million prize up for grabs, including 4 million dollars for the winner.

LIV Golf reacted angrily

The PGA Tour's decision prompted a quick response from LIV Golf.

"Today's PGA Tour announcement is vindictive and deepens the rift between the Tour and its members," LIV Golf said in a statement.

“It is disturbing that the Tour, an organization dedicated to creating opportunities for golfers to play the game, is the one keeping golfers from playing.

This is certainly not the last word on the subject.

We're proud to have a full field of players in London and beyond."

The PGA Tour's decision is likely to have far-reaching consequences in the golfing world.

In the future, players will have to decide which path to take in their careers.

The four prestigious major tournaments are at least not directly affected, they are not organized by the PGA.

The United States Golf Association announced yesterday that LIV golfers will also be allowed to play at the US Open, which it is hosting, which begins in mid-June, if they have already qualified for it.

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