THE BOGEYMEN!
Golf legends war over new tour financed with dirty Saudi cash
ANASTY money war has exploded in pro golf where legendary stars are taking nasty swings at each other for joining a new tour offering big bucks from Saudi Arabia, which is accused of human rights abuses.
Tiger Woods nixed a “mind-blowingly enormous” $1 billion deal to leave the PGA and join the LIV Golf series financed by Arab money, according to retired Australian icon Greg “The Shark” Norman, who heads the new organization.
Other big names like Rory McIlroy, Jordan Speith and Justin Thomas also say they’re sticking with the veteran Professional Golfers Association tour.
But Dustin Johnson snapped up the $125 million offer by LIV, which has already bought 27 of the world’s top 150 players.
Even icon Phil Mickelson, 51, who’s worth $300 million and makes $50 million yearly, swung for the green — accepting a $200 million pact from LIV.
Incredibly, the already wealthy Mickelson took the dough even after admitting in February the Saudi regime, accused of ignoring women’s rights and executing gays and their political critics, are “scary motherf***ers to get involved with. They killed [Washington Post reporter Jamal] Khashoggi and have a horrible record on human rights.” But he joined LIV “because this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reshape how the PGA Tour operates.”
But Tiger, 46, sees his “legacy” as more important than
the payoff Mickelson is raking in.
“You know, [Mickelson] has his opinion on where he sees the game of golf going,” says the star who’s courageously battled back from gruesome leg injuries in a car wreck.
“I have my viewpoint on how I see the game of golf. I understand different viewpoints, but I believe in legacies.”
Meanwhile, Norman bashed Jack Nicklaus, perhaps the greatest golfer of all time, as a “hypocrite” for announcing his “unwavering support” for the PGA.