It’s almost like the organisers are aware that the tour is extremely controversial
The players participating in the controversial Saudi-backed LIV International Golf Series were given a ‘crib sheet’ with pre-determined answers to questions about Saudi funding.
As reported by the Daily Mail, the likes of Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson and Lee Westwood were handed a crib sheet which attempted to dampen the fury towards them and the breakaway tour.
We can reveal the contents of a crib sheet that Liv golfers are being told to say:
* I love playing golf.
* This is a great opportunity to grow the game.
* Great opportunity for me, my family, to advance my career, try something different.
* Game of golf is bigger than one tour.— Hayley Barlow (@Hayley_Barlow) June 10, 2022
Here’s what the golfers were told to say in response to certain questions/topics:
Why:
- I love playing golf.
- This is a great opportunity to grow the game.
- It’s a great opportunity for me, my family, to advance my career, try something different.
- It’s a great opportunity to improve the product for fans.
- I like the concept. The format is new and exciting.
- I don’t see why we can’t have the choice to play in all Tours. I love to compete.
- Every sport gets better with competition.
- The game of golf is bigger than one tour.
About money:
- There were a number of factors in my decision-making, and money was certainly one of them.
- We are professional athletes just like our contemporaries in NFL, MLB, NHL — we deserve to be compensated for our skills and entertaining fans.
- I can compete in both (tours) which is best for me professionally and financially.
- As I understand it, their goal is to grow the game, provide additional opportunities and give fans more fun and a better product. We all want the game to flourish.
PGA Tour bans/sanctions:
- I hope it doesn’t come to that but we will see what happens.
- I don’t know how banning players is good for the game.
- There should be no reason to prevent players, as independent contractors, from choosing where and when to play.
- I hope the PGA Tour will do the right thing and just let me play golf.
- The Tour issued waivers for players to play in the Saudi International — what’s different now?
PGA Tour suspends players participating
On Thursday, the PGA announced that they had suspended all the players who chose to participate in the controversial Saudi-backed LIV International Golf Series.
In a letter released to PGA Tour members, commissioner Jay Monahan stated that those who have joined the LIV tour did not receive media releases, nor did they apply for them to play in the Golf series, which is currently being played in Hertfordshire.
Monahan added that those players who had joined had “decided to turn their backs on the PGA Tour by wilfully violating a regulation” as well as warning that “the same fate holds true for any other players who participate in future Saudi Golf League events in violation of our regulations.”
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