PGA Tour Suspends Golfers Joining LIV Golf Event

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PGA Tour Suspends Golfers Joining LIV Golf Event

The PGA Tour, the sports organization that runs golf events for professionals, mostly in the United States, has suspended all golfers who joined LIV Golf events.

LIV Golf is a competing golf organization financed by Saudi Arabia.

PGA Tour Commissioner¹ Jay Monahan sent a letter on Thursday to the members. It said that those golfers will not be permitted to play in any PGA Tour events.

The announcement came as several well-known golfers said on Wednesday that they would play in the LIV Golf Invitational Series. Among them were Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson. Johnson was a former world number one player and Mickelson has won six major championships along with 45 PGA Tour events.

"These players have made their choice for their own financial-based reasons," Monahan wrote. "But they can't demand the same PGA Tour membership benefits, considerations, opportunities..."

LIV Golf is run by former golfer Greg Norman of Australia. The events receive financial support from Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund.

LIV Golf said the PGA Tour's decision "is vindictive² and it deepens the divide between the Tour and its members." The group added, "This certainly is not the last word on this topic. The era of free agency is beginning as we are proud to have a full field of players joining us in London, and beyond."

Money is at the center

Money is the center of the dispute between the PGA Tour and some of the players.

PGA Tour players usually receive three releases a year to play in overseas tournaments. But Monahan denied the releases for the LIV Golf Invitational competition because it is an eight-tournament series that has five events in the United States. The tour does not permit releases for events in North America.

The first of eight LIV Golf events is being held at Centurion³ Club this week outside of London. There is $25 million in prize money, including $4 million for the winner of each event.

This week, the Canadian Open, a PGA Tour event, offers $8.7 million in prize money. And the richest PGA Tour event, The Players Championship, offers $20 million.

Well-known players like Mickelson and Johnson reportedly have received additional money for competing in LIV Golf. The Daily Telegraph newspaper reported that Johnson received $150 million just for signing up. That is more than Tiger Woods' career PGA Tour earnings⁴. Mickelson did not deny reports that he got $200 million.

The Washington Post reported that Norman, who oversees⁵ LIV Golf, said Woods rejected an offer described as "high nine digits⁶."

"Sportswashing"

Human rights activists⁷ say LIV Golf is an example of "sportswashing." The term is used to describe how a country tries to improve its image by setting up sporting events with well-known sports competitors.

Sacha Deshmukh is head of Amnesty International UK. He said, "Rather than acting⁸ as the willing stooges of Saudi sportswashing, we'd like to see golfers at the LIV Golf Invitational speaking out about human rights abuses in Saudi Arabia."

The first reports that Mickelson would compete in the Saudi-backed event came out in February. At the time, he said: "I'm certainly aware of what has happened with Jamal Khashoggi, and I think it's terrible. I've also seen the good that the game of golf has done throughout history."

Khashoggi was a writer and critic of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin⁹ Salman. He was killed on October 2, 2018, at the Saudi Consulate¹⁰ in Istanbul. Turkish officials said that Khashoggi was killed and then cut into pieces by security officers and individuals who worked for the crown prince. The prince also heads Saudi Arabia's state investment arm which supports LIV Golf.

However, Mickelson, Johnson and several others are welcome to play at the U.S. Open to be held near Boston next week. The U.S. Open is one of golf's four major championships. It is independent and open to all golfers who qualify.

Words in This Story

benefits –n. (pl.) extra things given by an employer in addition to regular pay

vindictive –adj. having or showing the desire to hurt someone who has hurt or caused problems for you

topic –n. something that people talk or write about; a subject

release –n. permission to be freed from a normal responsibility usually called for by a contract

1 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。

2 vindictive   

adj.有报仇心的，怀恨的，惩罚的

参考例句：

• I have no vindictive feelings about it.我对此没有恶意。
• The vindictive little girl tore up her sister's papers.那个充满报复心的小女孩撕破了她姐姐的作业。

3 centurion   

n.古罗马的百人队长

参考例句：

• When Jesus had entered Capernaum,a centurion came to him,asking for help.耶稣进了迦百农，有一个百夫长前来求助。
• A centurion was in charge of 100 soldiers.一个百夫长管理100个士兵。

4 earnings   

n.工资收人；利润，利益，所得

参考例句：

• That old man lives on the earnings of his daughter.那个老人靠他女儿的收入维持生活。
• Last year there was a 20% decrease in his earnings.去年他的收入减少了20%。

5 oversees   

v.监督，监视( oversee的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• She oversees both the research and the manufacturing departments. 她既监督研究部门又监督生产部门。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Department of Education oversees the federal programs dealing with education. 教育部监管处理教育的联邦程序。 来自互联网

6 digits   

n.数字( digit的名词复数 )；手指，足趾

参考例句：

• The number 1000 contains four digits. 1000是四位数。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The number 410 contains three digits. 数字 410 中包括三个数目字。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

7 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

9 bin   

n.箱柜；vt.放入箱内；[计算机] DOS文件名:二进制目标文件

参考例句：

• He emptied several bags of rice into a bin.他把几袋米倒进大箱里。
• He threw the empty bottles in the bin.他把空瓶子扔进垃圾箱。

10 consulate   

n.领事馆

参考例句：

• The Spanish consulate is the large white building opposite the bank.西班牙领事馆是银行对面的那栋高大的白色建筑物。
• The American consulate was a magnificent edifice in the centre of Bordeaux.美国领事馆是位于波尔多市中心的一座宏伟的大厦。