Golf is undergoing a revolution and it IS BEING TELEVISED. Entering the week of a major in an escalating state of anomie, The Country Club in the Boston suburb of Brookline is both host to the US Open and a proxy battleground on which the game’s divergent forces continue their internecine struggle for supremacy.
Following Sunday’s triumphant win for Rory McIlroy at the Canadian Open, he has boosted his status and gained even more credibility for the power base he represents. McIlroy sought political gain from his 21st PGA Tour win by surpassing the 20 victories achieved by Greg Norman, the CEO of the Saudi-backed LIV Golf, according to inews.co.uk
Watched by huge galleries populated by observers deeply invested in the action, LIV Golf’s inaugural event in Hertfordshire last week was won by Charl Schwartzel, his first success since 2016, in front of a thin crowd entering for free.
The scale of the Saudi power grab has captivated many golf fans and excited pro players, who can earn amazing cash prizes for their participation. But, much has come about from those in America who despise the players who have signed on to play, like protest letters to the players from 911familiesunited.org, a group representing the families and friends of victims of the 2001 terror attacks.
PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan brought the moral hammer down by claiming personal association with two families who were bereaved by the attacks and asked if any player would ever have to apologize for being a member of the PGA Tour.
The shift from commercial to ethical grounds, according to inews.co.uk, suits Monahan since it allows him to claim the emotional high ground and shift the debate from the fundamental issue of money. Undeniably, the Saudis have much more money than he does.
The PGA Tour had no difficulty in allowing its players to contest tournaments in Saudi Arabia when the pariah state rolled out its golf program under the auspices of its new strategic partner, the European Tour, now named the DP World Tour. But now the tables have turned.
For McIlroy, who has softened his line to a degree, accepting the power of money to persuade others less gifted than him was not that difficult. As he concedes, may believe that money was the principal driver for him, too, when he set out on the professional road 15 years ago. Back in those days, the Northern Ireland native took Dubai state cash to wear branded gear.
McIlroy is now among those who sit front and center of the LIV Golf initiative and his first win since October could hardly have been better timed. What golf fans are now waiting for are the names of the next group of pro golfer converts to the Saudi project, rumored to include world No 8 Viktor Hovland, who would be the highest-ranked fish hooked. Hovland was the first Norwegian to win on the PGA Tour and on the European Tour. inews.co.uk indicates that also rumored to be included is Harold Varner III, an excellent player, quickly rising on golf leaderboards, one of the longer drivers on PGA Tour and one of just a handful of African American PGA Tour golfers.
The new group of players may be announced this week on Brookline’s historic turf. Stay tuned….
