How The Saudis Sparked ‘Golf Civil War’

LIV Golf has been accused of being nothing more than the latest effort by the Gulf state to clean up, or sportswash, its image. Nevertheless, this is how the Saudis sparked a Golf Civil War.

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Following the establishment of the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series to compete with the PGA Tour, a civil war has erupted in the golf world, with charges that the money-spinning series, which has snatched numerous top players, is merely the latest high-profile case of sportswashing.

Numerous issues linger, though, about the new series' influence, whether it can coexist with the PGA Tour – or whether it will contaminate the game by isolating a large number of the world's best players.

What is the LIV Golf Invitational Series, exactly?

Speculation about a PGA Tour challenger initially surfaced in 2019, but the speculations gained traction late last year when LIV Golf Investments was created with financial backing from Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), the...

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