I like so many am fed up with all the squabbling in the men's game, and with the courts taking until February 2023 to decide if the guys on the DP World Tour can be banned from playing in events they sanction, the confusion continues.
Just one example, guys like Branden Grace, Cameron Smith and Marc Leishman were banned from the Presidents Cup because they jumped to the LIV series, yet they continue to play in European events.
Ian Poulter not only jumped to LIV, but recently had his presence plastered all over billboards in Prague as the headliner in the DP World Tour's Czech Masters where he finished 23rd after receiving a hefty appearance fee from the sponsors. He then accused that tour of withholding footage of his play for use in social media !
Yesterday after just 6 events Dustin Johnson won the "points title" for the LIV series and was given another $18,000,000 bonus to add to the $12,700,000 he had 'won," so over $30,000,000 for his attendance, which you may have noted is being played around the world in relative obscurity with little TV coverage.
The staggering money on offer with no payoff is what drives all the speculation about the motives of the source, the Saudi "Public Investment Fund" Can you really buy public approval ?
Now this week, Brooke Henderson and others from the LPGA/LET Tours are playing in a lucrative LET sanctioned Aramco Team Series in New York...Nelly Korda and Lexi Thompson held a press conference to praise the event and it's 'refreshing" team concept, which comes complete with points awarded in the season long Race to the CME Globe.
Does the name Aramco ring a bell? It's the Saudi owned oil giant founded in 1933 when they started searching for oil in the desert, now listed by Forbes in the top 5 conglomerates in the world.
With women in Saudi Arabia slowly having the well published strict traditions they have endured forever being eased under the rule of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, their situation still remains prohibitive to say the least. Old traditions die hard, generations to undo.
This is in Aramco mission statement regarding their sponsorship of this event.
This partnership with Aramco comes as part of the company’s efforts in female empowerment by providing an exciting new platform through which women can excel in this global sport, while also inspiring the next generation of girls to pursue their dreams and achieve their potential.
Are the women playing this week helping their sisters back in the "Kingdom" by happily accepting this "new platform" to win $1,000,000 and I would think nice appearance fees.
It just adds to the confusion. We all know Brooke and her family are as devout Christians as there are, so I'm sure they have thought all this through.
All I know for sure is the sport that I have played, covered, broadcast and loved all my life is being made a mockery of these days by all this ridiculous Saudi money, and I'm not sure it will ever recover.
Bryan Angus
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