Background
After a year of disruption in the men’s game following the launch of LIV Golf, the PGA Tour and DP World Tour agreed to merge with Saudi Arabian-backed circuit LIV Golf in a deal that ended the split in the game. The emergence of the LIV circuit fractured men’s professional golf over the last year, with several top players lured by its huge prize funds and no-cut events, which include a team format. LIV Golf is backed by the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF), an entity controlled by the Saudi crown prince and which has been embroiled in anti-trust lawsuits with the PGA Tour over the last year.
Implications
This deal appears to signal Saudi Arabia’s massive wealth as a unifying force for the men’s professional game. However, that may raise concerns about sportswashing for a kingdom whose human rights record is often questioned. The PGA and DP World Tours entered into bitter and expensive legal action with the LIV circuit, which had poached some of their best players and viewed the breakaway tour as an existential threat. The litigation between the tours will be halted, and they will move forward as part of the same enterprise. The PGA and DP World Tours acknowledged LIV as being “positively transformative for golf.”
Philosophical Discussion
Money is often considered the paramount driving force behind the activities of major sports leagues. As demonstrated by this recent merger, money can overcome principles, ethics, and values in the name of profit. Sports figures can be bought and alliances can shift based on financial gain. This change highlights the power that money can have in shaping sports and why it motivates different actors to take various actions. Showing the influence of money in sports is a big issue that is interesting to reflect on.
Editorial and Advice
This merger is making waves in the golf world, but many people remain skeptical of Saudi Arabia’s involvement in sport based on the country’s notorious human rights record. Profit should not become an excuse to overlook human rights transgressions, and sports leagues should pay attention to the negative practices and actions of their partners. Instead of turning a blind eye toward these issues, international sports organizations should ensure they are upholding ethical standards and avoiding partnerships that might raise concerns. The power of sports should not be misused for political gain or to sanitize nations’ reputations.
<< photo by Richard Stott >>
