How is MBS Whitewashing His Reputation with Golf Courses?

After years of being famous for being an elite and billionaires’ game, another reality emerged in golf, when Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) entered this world and sought absolute and sudden control over it.

According to international media, since June 8, 2022, Riyadh has penetrated golf, caused unprecedented defections in the oldest sports body within it, created a new championship, attracted top players with fantastic offers, and spent billions of dollars on that world to own it.

This shocking development has sparked major game leaders, who have argued that the Saudi crown prince is "trying to wash his reputation and whitewash his face" globally, regarding the kingdom's "deteriorating" human rights.

 

Prince's Polarizations

On June 9, 2022, the New York Times published a report on the golf course conflict and how billions of Saudis "turned" that "quiet world."

Shortly after the launch of the new LFI Golf League, backed by the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, the historic 94-year-old PGA Championships, which belong to the World Golf Professionals Association, issued a decision denying 17 players from participating in the tournament after joining the all-new Saudi competition.

The New York Times reported that the Saudi-funded league was primarily the competition for the PGA Championships, which for decades was the most important event and the highest level in world golf tournaments and its first standard.

"The Saudis signed with the most famous names in golf to participate in their new tournament after they were lured by money," it said.

Threats to exclude players participating in the Saudi League from professional PGA Championships, particularly for American champions Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson, have yielded nothing.

Johnson, a former world number one and two-time champion, and the left-handed genius Mickelson, the second-oldest player in the last 20 years after Tiger Woods, responded to Saudi offers, overcoming a difficult barrier that many thought was "unbreachable."

"These players have made their own choice for financial reasons," PGA Championship Commissioner Jay Monahan said in a statement.

Monahan warned other players tempted by Saudi offers that they would be subjected to the same sanctions, lamenting "all this talk about money, money and more money."

 

Ignoring Crimes

Interestingly, the game's genius, Mickelson, who joined the Saudi League, sparked controversy with remarks previously criticizing the kingdom.

On February 18, 2022, in an interview with The Telegraph, Mickelson said he was ready to overlook Saudi Arabia's human rights record and participate in the golf tournament to take advantage of the kingdom's funds.

"We know they killed Khashoggi and have a horrible record on human rights […] this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reshape how the PGA Tour operates

but Saudi Arabia has given us a lot of money, this is an opportunity that comes only once in a lifetime, and I am not even interested in the success of the Saudi Golf League."

He said he plays in the Saudi Golf League to gain influence and money only and has received $100 million to participate.

On January 10, 2022, the U.S. Daily Beast reported that, "The golfer signed a reported $200 million contract on Saturday night to play with LIV Golf."

But on the other hand, a group of top players refused to respond to ibn Salman's money appeal, led by international golfer Rory McIlroy, who warned young golf stars not to play in the Saudi League.

During press statements on February 19, 2022, McIlroy said he was not ready to discredit himself with Saudi money.

"Look, I’ve lived it—for the top guys [elite golfers], all that money really isn’t going to change their life," he said.

 

Sudden Entry

"The sudden entry is part of a multi-level approach to changing its stereotype as a rich and conservative kingdom, both externally and internally," al-Hurra said on June 10, 2022.

"Saudi Arabia is targeting the structures and organizations that have ruled professional golf for nearly a century, which is different from buying a European football team or hosting a global sporting event with the aim of sports washing," the website said.

"The new Saudi-funded league has brought together 48 dissident players lured by excessive prize money, amounting to more than $250 million, spanning eight rounds around the world, in a unique format over three days without interruption," he said.

"Of the 48 renegade players, 16 are ranked among the top 100 players in the world," the website said.

"The first round, which began on June 8, 2022, in north London, has been distributed $25 million, as is the case for the next seven rounds, a figure that is more than double each of the Grand Slams," he said.

"Investments of this kind have accelerated since 2015 when Crown Prince MBS began his rise to become the de facto ruler, and led a comprehensive change aimed at opening up the kingdom's economy and culture," the website said.

MBS began putting Saudi Arabia's name in the news in ways unrelated to its poor human rights record, military intervention in Yemen, or the assassination of journalist Khashoggi by a special assassination squad of Saudi agents at the Kingdom's consulate in Istanbul in 2018, al-Hurra reported.

 

Trump’s Secret

MBS’ investments and interventions in the golf world do not stray from his favorite leader, former U.S. President Donald Trump.

On April 24, 2022, The Daily Telegraph described the current relationship between MBS, Trump, and his family as an "eagle-axis."

It added that the scale of the cooperation between the two parties has reached that Trump's famous "Doral" golf course in Miami will host the Saudi Final League, which is estimated at $50 million.

"This represents additional support for Trump, who is known for his familiarity with this game," the paper said.

“Certainly the sight of Saudi Sheikhs and Trump handing grateful golfers novelty-sized cheques will be enough to bring golf’s traditionalists out in a cold sweat," The Daily Telegraph reported.

MBS’ relentless paths come with a strong desire and a wild bet on Trump and his family returning to the White House.

On May 21, 2022, the U.S. website Essential Sport reported that Trump was in the spotlight because of his participation in the Saudi Golf League.

He was quoted as saying that he talked about the Saudis and their huge financial resources, compared them to rich people like him, and expressed their love for golf.