British Open welcomes Saudi leaguers
ST. ANDREWS, Scotland — Players who have joined the new Saudi Arabia-funded league will still be allowed to compete at the British Open next month, organizers said on Wednesday.
The U.S. Open had allowed players who were banned by the PGA Tour for signing up to the LIV Golf series to play at last week’s tournament.
“Players who are exempt or have earned a place through qualifying for the 150th Open in accordance with the entry terms and conditions will be able to compete in the Championship at St. Andrews,” R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers said in a statement.
The world’s oldest major championship begins July 14.
“The Open is golf’s original championship and since it was first played in 1860, openness has been fundamental to its ethos and unique appeal,” Slumbers said.
Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson headlined LIV Golf’s inaugural tournament held this month outside London and won by former Masters champion Charl Schwartzel, who collected $4.75 million. The league is bankrolled by Saudi Arabia’s Public
Investment Fund.
Mickelson, a six-time major champion who has become the face of the LIV league, missed the U.S. Open cut at The Country Club last week. He won the British Open in 2013.
PGA CAN’T WIN ‘ARMS RACE’
Commissioner Jay Monahan says the PGA Tour can’t win an “arms race” against Saudi-funded LIV Golf when the weapon is money. His response Wednesday
was to boost prize money in eight elite events and rely on loyalty and legacy among his players.
Monahan delivered another round of stinging criticism against Greg Norman and his rival league. LIV Golf has snagged players who have combined to win nine majors in the last five years, including Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau.
The latest to sign was Koepka, whose deal with LIV Golf was announced just as Monahan began his first press conference in three months at the Travelers Championship.
“I am not naive,” Monahan said. “If this is an arms race and if the only weapons here are dollar bills, the PGA Tour can’t compete. The PGA Tour, an American institution, can’t compete with a foreign monarchy that is spending billions of dollars in attempt to buy the game of golf.
“We welcome good, healthy competition. The LIV Saudi golf league is not that,” he said. “It’s an irrational threat, one not concerned with the return on investment or true growth of the game.”
The tour, however, appears to be trying to keep up. Monahan said an increase in prize money was in the works from its latest media rights deal it signed in 2020, noting the threat of LIV Golf accelerated some of those plans.
He announced a streamlined schedule — January to August starting in 2024 — with seven tournaments worth $20 million or more and fewer postseason spots available.