Foreground! LIV Golf’s Greg Norman backfires on Capitol Hill as lawmakers crack down on his antitrust claims against the PGA Tour, accusing him of covering the ‘bloodstained hand’ of his Saudi Arabian supporters
- LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman climbed Capitol Hill this week
- Norman sought support for his players’ antitrust lawsuit against the PGA
- Instead, lawmakers accused him of spreading pro-Saudi Arabia propaganda
LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman climbed Capitol Hill this week to seek legislative support for the Upstart tour amid ongoing antitrust lawsuits against their PGA rivals, but has instead been accused of spreading propaganda for his Saudi Arabian supporters to have.
Norman faced questions about funding for LIV Golf, which comes from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, as lawmakers from both parties accused him of wasting Congressional time on a deal despite between tours. LIV Golf and seven of its players recently sued the PGA Tour for alleged antitrust violations stemming from the tour’s decision to ban golfers who signed with the Saudi-backed circuit.
“They wanted to talk about antitrust law, and I don’t care,” Congressman Tim Burchett (Republican of Tennessee) told the Washington Post. “That is not the job of Congress. We are a land of laws; bring to court. It has to be there, not in the halls of Congress.
“How the hell do we waste our time talking about a bunch of millionaires and a game of golf?” he continued. “It’s all just Saudi propaganda.”
Burchett later repeated frequent criticism of Saudi Arabia on Twitter: “Didn’t Saudis fly some of those planes on 9/11 and what about the assassination of @washingtonpost columnist #JamalKashoggi?”
LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman climbed Capitol Hill this week to seek legislative support for the Upstart tour amid ongoing antitrust lawsuits against their PGA rivals, but has instead been accused of spreading propaganda for his Saudi Arabian supporters to have
With promises of guaranteed contracts and $400 million in prize money, Norman’s team has already attracted some of the biggest names in golf, including Phil Mickelson, who has reportedly signed with the Upstart Tour for $200 million.
“Don’t come here and pretend you’re doing something great while pimping a billion dollars in Saudi Arabian money and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the United States,” Congressman Chip Roy (Republican-Texas) said. . .
Despite the criticism, LIV Golf called the trip productive.
“Greg Norman had a very productive day on Capitol Hill today in front of about 60 members of Congress,” LIV spokesman Jonathan Grella said in a statement Wednesday. “His message about the benefits of competition was very well received, although some members of Congress say otherwise.”
