Greg Norman: Phil Mickelson’s comments impacted Saudi-backed tour

Greg Norman, a former two-time main championship winner who’s fronting a brand new golf league backed by Saudi Arabian traders, confirmed on Monday that Phil Mickelson’s latest feedback difficult issues for the upstart operation.

“There’s no query (it) harm,” Norman advised ESPN. “It harm numerous elements. It harm the PGA Tour. It harm us. It harm the sport of golf. It harm Phil. So yeah, throughout all fronts. It wasn’t simply particularly to us. Nevertheless it positively created unfavourable momentum in opposition to us.”

Norman is the CEO of the LIV Golf Invitational Sequence, previously generally known as the Tremendous Golf League. Because the enterprise was attempting to get rolling, feedback from Mickelson — revealed on Feb. 15, after a November interview with creator Alan Shipnuck — precipitated a firestorm.

Mickelson referenced the killing of Washington Put up reporter Jamal Khashoggi and referred to as the Saudi Arabians “scary motherf—s to get entangled with.” He went on to clarify why he nonetheless had curiosity in becoming a member of the Saudi-backed league.

“(They) have a horrible file on human rights,” Mickelson was mentioned, in keeping with Shipnuck. “They execute folks over there for being homosexual. Figuring out all of this, why would I even think about it? As a result of it is a once-in-a-lifetime alternative to reshape how the PGA Tour operates.

“They’ve been capable of get by with manipulative, coercive, strong-arm techniques as a result of we, the gamers, had no recourse.”

Norman mentioned Monday that just about one third of the highest 50 gamers on this planet had been dedicated to taking part in within the new golf tour. When Mickelson’s feedback had been revealed, many high gamers reaffirmed their dedication to taking part in on the PGA Tour.

“Fairly actually, we had been able to launch (in February),” Norman mentioned to ESPN. “We had sufficient gamers in our energy of area, or minimal viable product, prepared to come back on board. And when all of that occurred, everyone received the jitters, and the PGA Tour threatened folks with lifetime bans and stuff like that.”

Initially set to be a 14-event schedule, the LIV Golf Invitational Sequence has restructured itself with a possible eight-event season. Of these, 5 are anticipated to happen in the US. A complete of $255 million is predicted to be up for grabs.

Mickelson has since filed a request to play in an occasion that conflicts with the PGA Tour, signaling his want to nonetheless play within the LIV Golf Invitational Sequence. A June September 11 event is ready for London and might be open to 48 gamers set to compete on 12 four-man groups.

“I’ve been very pleasantly stunned,” Norman mentioned. “What has been talked about within the media and what’s actuality are two various things. We all know what’s occurring with numerous curiosity expressed. From an expectation standpoint, we’ve received numerous curiosity from considerably named gamers.”