PGA Tour-LIV Golf merger prevents criticism of Saudi Arabia
PGA Tour merger with LIV Golf includes ‘non-disparagement clause’ that prevents criticism of Saudi Arabia, US Senate finds… and Tour chiefs can’t guarantee players won’t be gagged
- PGA Tour chiefs testified at a Senate Subcommittee on Investigations hearing
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US Senators have unearthed a ‘non-disparagement clause’ in the bombshell agreement between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf that prevents golf chiefs from criticizing Saudi Arabia.
And PGA Tour officials could not guarantee that players would not be gagged once the shock merger – which ended golf’s bitter civil war – is formalised.
The clause, which is not uncommon, was revealed during a Senate hearing on the proposed partnership between the Saudi Public Investment Fund, the PGA Tour and DP World Tour.
Democratic senator Richard Blumenthal said the non-disparagement – which is ‘as broad as I’ve ever seen’ – was inserted on the eve of the PGA-PIF deal.
It means the PGA Tour is unable to make ‘defamatory or disparaging’ comments about Saudi Arabia over its human rights record and accusations of sportswashing.
PGA Tour chief operating officer Ron Price and board member Jimmy Dunne are sworn in
The golf chiefs were quizzed by senators on Tuesday over the proposed merger with LIV Golf
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Before striking their deal, the two sides discussed several other measures that would have a drastic impact on professional golf.
According to documents released by the Senate investigative subcommittee during Tuesday’s hearing, which was attended by families of 9/11 victims, the ideas included:
- a global ‘World Golf Series’ team event that would end in Saudi Arabia
- Greg Norman being removed from his role as LIV Golf CEO executive
- Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy owning LIV teams and participating in LIV events
- A membership to Augusta National for Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the governor of the PIF
It is not clear if any of those proposals are still under consideration.
Ron Price, the COO of the PGA Tour, and Jimmy Dunne – who negotiated the deal – were called before senators on Tuesday, to discuss the proposed merger.
Families of victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks were in attendance in Washington
They were pressed repeatedly by Blumenthal on the non-disparagement clause and whether it could impact players when the current framework agreement was formalised.
When asked to guarantee that the PGA won’t punish any members that criticise Saudi Arabia, Price said: ‘I can tell you that under the framework agreement the players are absolutely free to speak their mind.’
Blumenthal again asked Price to commit to protect player expression and even go to court to protect them.
‘We are a membership organisation and always take player interest importantly and would try and protect their interest.’
Blumenthal responded: ‘The answer to that quesiton should be yes, we will do it proudly.’
The furthest Price would go was to say: ‘We wouldn’t recommend any agreement to the board which included that clause in it.’
They did reveal that discussions had taken place about the level of Saudi investment in golf and that the mooted figure was ‘north of $1billion’
Price and Dunne insisted that the PGA Tour would retain economic control and decision-making authority of golf in the new entity, that would become a ‘PGA Tour-controlled subsidiary’
The two sides discussed membership to Augusta National for Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the governor of the Saudi Public Investment Fund
Price was pressed on whether players would be free to speak their minds about Saudi Arabia
But Blumenthal insisted the hearing was ‘about much more than the game of golf’.
He said: ‘It is about how a brutal, repressive regime can buy influence… even take over – a cherished American institution simply to cleanse its public image.
‘A regime that has killed journalists, jailed and tortured dissidents, fostered the war in Yemen, and supported other terrorist activities, including 9/11. It’s called sportswashing.
‘It is also about hypocrisy, and how vast sums of money can induce individuals and institutions to betray their own values and supporters, or perhaps reveal lack of values from the beginning.
‘It’s about other sports and institutions that could fall prey – if their leaders let it be all about the money.’
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