STORMIN’ NORMAN
Greg ready for court battle to defend Saudi golf league
GREG NORMAN has defended the Saudi backing of his new golf league following the 2018 murder of Jamal Khashoggi by saying: “We’ve all made mistakes”.
Golf is heading towards a legal showdown after the PGA Tour yesterday announced they will refuse to release players to compete in the first LIV Invitational event in St Albans next month. The DP World Tour are set to follow suit.
Norman responded by telling players: “We’ve got your back” as he claimed injunctions were ready to stop anyone being banned from the Majors.
But the Australian golfing great, speaking yesterday at The Centurion Club that will host next month’s event, spoke in appallingly dismissive terms when questioned about the latest sportswashing venture by the Saudi regime.
Saudi journalist Khashoggi was brutally murdered in the Saudi embassy in Istanbul, with the CIA and the UN concluding that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) had approved the operation.
A trial in Turkey of 26 Saudi nationals accused over the killing was halted last month.
Norman said: “I think everybody has owned up to it, right? It has been spoken about.”
Asked if MBS has owned up to it, the double Open champion added: “From what I’ve read. Just take ownership of whatever it is. Take ownership no matter what it is.
“Look, we’ve all made mistakes and you just want to learn by those mistakes and how you can correct them going forward. No I haven’t had a personal conversation with MBS, I’ve never met the guy but at the same time I do read that the Saudi Government have made their statements and comments about it and they want to move forward.”
Norman also defended Phil Mickelson who branded the Saudis “scary mother ******* ” for their human rights record and the murder of Khashoggi.
“He’s made a mistake and apologised for that mistake so his legacy should live on and he should be able to play the US PGA,” he said. “Phil Mickelson has an open door at any tournament he wants to play.” Mickelson, Lee Westwood and Richard Bland have publicly confirmed they want to play the first $25million (£20m) LIV event from June 9-11.
The PGA Tour yesterday told players they were not allowed to play in an event that clashes with the RBC Canadian Open that runs from June 9-12.
LIV will stage eight events worldwide this year worth $255m (£207m) in a total investment of $2bn (£1.6bn).
Norman insisted players are independent contractors and should be free to take part in his events alongside PGA and DP World Tour membership.
“We don’t want it to end in a court battle,” he said. “We’re not looking for a fight, we never have. It’s very fixable. I’ve said to the players, ‘We’ve got your back. Simple as that’. We will defend, we will reimburse and we will represent.
“Do we have injunctions ready to go? Yes. We are going to back up the players, we are going to be there for them and we are prepared for them for whenever that is.”