John: Finally tonight… The intersection of sports and geopolitics. Today was the final round of the first ever LIV golf series in London. The new competition is backed by the Saudi government and its leader crown prince Mohammed bin Salman. Saudi Arabia's human rights record has been criticized over a number of issues, including the war in Yemen, the treatment of lgbtq people and the murder of "Washington post" columnist Jamal khashoggi. Now khashoggi's fiancée is weighing in, saying the participating golfers should be banned from major tournaments. "Usa today" sports columnist Christine Brennan is here to talk about this.
Thank you for being with us. First off, just the basics. What is this new tournament and why is it so controversial? Christine: What's happened is a man named Greg Norman, major champion winner from the past, has been working for quite a while with Saudi leaders and certainly Saudi money to come up with an alternative golf series to the PGA tour. This I know means is that competitive in terms of the actual number of players. It is much smaller, only 54 holes. But it is all about the money. And what has happened the last few weeks, 17 PGA tour players have now been suspended at the PGA tour because they have decided to play in the LIV golf series.
It started in London, ending today, and there will be tournaments around the united States, and there are several others. It is almost an exhibition. It is not leading to anything. It has a team competition and it is different than what we are used to. But with all of that Saudi money , they are making quite a splash and the controversy as you described because of the connection with the murder of Jamal khashoggi and many other transgressions and terrible things they have done, it is gaining all of the attention that these golfers, many of them Americans, including Phil Mickelson and others, decided to be in business with the Saudis. John: Is money the main motivation? Christine: Absolutely. It is certainly not the quality of the competition because they are leaving the great competition. They are leaving the PGA tour, the best players in the world, and going on their own. It's almost like retirement. They play and there is no consequences if you play poorly, and they are getting so much money up front — sure people have seen, potentially hundreds of millions of dollars of advance money.
The prize money almost doesn't matter, although that is huge as well. That is certainly one of the reasons for the criticism. John: The pj suspended the players who participated in this. What does this mean for golf moving forward? The P.J. Doesn't set the field for next week's U.S. Open — PGA doesn't set the field for next week's U.S. Open, but what are the implications going forward? Christine: It's a crisis for men's golf.
It is a broadside because of the money the Saudi's have and the controversy inherent with taking Saudi money. You've got one of the biggest names in the history of the sport, Phil Mickelson, who was decided to leave the PGA and do this. Golf doesn't need a civil war, and yet it has come upon them and it is something they have to deal with. And yes, the U.S. Open, which is in Boston next week, they are going to allow the Saudi players to play because they have already qualified. The question on the table is the British open in a month and the masters next April, will they allow these men taking Saudi money to play in their tournaments? If they do, the Saudi guys can say I can make all of this money and still come back and play the majors.
This is a big problem for golf structure. The chickens have come home to roost because all of these years of elf being so incredibly — both being so missing on cultural issues, now the fact that they seem to have no spine and no leadership that can really clampdown, now they have to deal with something they have never had to deal with before. John: Beyond golf, refer to this as sports washing, Saudi Arabia's reputation. What do these players say when they are asked about the Saudi much less the killing of the Washington post columnist. Christine: There are talking points that have been revealed, that they have been told what to say when they are asked these questions inevitably by journalists in London or wherever. I will see them at the U.S. Open and have to ask these tough questions as well. Phil Mickelson talks a good game. He says of course the killing of Jamal khashoggi is reprehensible. Then he goes into, but we will help grow the game. That is ridiculous. They will help grow his bank account. That is really the sports washing.
Obviously I am a columnist and this is my opinion, but there is no doubt that the idea that they will do good things is all about trying to help the Saudis. John: The families of the victims of 9/11 are now speaking out. Christine: They are. There is reporting about that today in the New York post, that they sent a scathing letter to Phil Mickelson and the others, basically how dare you take this money and be part of anything that was part of the terrible tragedy, the Saudis leading the way on the attack on 9/11. I'm sure other people would say, Saudi Arabia had a tournament recently, the lpga played there. A tournament is one week. This is Phil Mickelson going into business with the Saudis. This is part of being part of the Saudi government and investment. It is much more than just playing somewhere where they put the tournament that week. This is a choice he has made to go into business with these people. John: Christine Brennan, thank you. Christine: John, thank you..