LIV Golf’s Greg Norman misfires on Capitol Hill as lawmakers say he’s spreading Saudi propaganda
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in front of! LIV Golf’s Greg Norman Fails on Capitol Hill as Lawmakers Oppose His Antitrust Claims Against the PGA Tour, Accusing Him of Covering the ‘Bloodstained Hand’ of His Saudi Backers
- LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman climbed Capitol Hill this week
- Norman sought support for his players’ antitrust case against the PGA
- Instead, lawmakers accused him of spreading propaganda for Saudi Arabia
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LIV Golf chief executive Greg Norman climbed Capitol Hill this week seeking support from lawmakers for the upstart tour amid the pending antitrust lawsuit against his PGA rivals, but was instead accused of spreading propaganda for his Saudi – Arab donors.
Norman was questioned about the financing of LIV Golf, which comes from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, as lawmakers from both sides accused him of wasting Congress’ time on a company, despite going between tours. LIV Golf and seven of its players recently sued the PGA Tour for alleged antitrust violations following the Tour’s decision to ban all golfers signed to the Saudi Arabia-backed circuit.
“They wanted to talk about antitrust, and I didn’t care,” Republican-Tennessee Congressman Tim Burchett told the Washington Post. “It’s not the job of Congress. We are a land of laws; take it to court. That’s where it needs to be, not in the halls of Congress.
“How the hell can we waste our time talking about a bunch of millionaires and a game of golf?” he continued. “This is all just Saudi propaganda.”
LIV Golf chief executive Greg Norman climbed Capitol Hill this week seeking support from lawmakers for the upstart tour amid the pending antitrust lawsuit against his PGA rivals, but was instead accused of spreading propaganda for his Saudi – Arab donors. Norman was joined by Atul Khosla (right), Chief Operating Officer of LIV Golf
On Twitter, Burchett later echoed frequent criticisms of Saudi Arabia: “Don’t Saudis fly some of those planes on 9-11 and what about their murder of @washingtonpost columnist #JamalKashoggi?”
With the promise of guaranteed contracts and $400 million in prize money, Norman’s team has already lured away some of the biggest names in the wave, including Phil Mickelson, who reportedly signed the upstart tour for $200 million.
“Don’t come in here and don’t act like you’re doing something great while pimping a billion dollars in Saudi Arabian money and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the United States,” said Republican-Texas Congresswoman Chip Roy.
Despite the criticism, LIV Golf described the trip as productive.
“Greg Norman had a very productive day on Capitol Hill today in front of some 60 congressmen,” LIV spokesman Jonathan Grella said in a statement on Wednesday. “His message about the benefits of competition was very well received, even though a few congressmen argue otherwise.”