Maddie Meyer / PGA of America / PGA of America via Getty Images
According to James Corrigan and Tom Morgan, star golfer Dustin Johnson was paid “around” $ 125 million to join the Saudi-backed LIV Golf League. Telegraph (a / t Ryan Glasspiegel of the New York Post).
Johnson’s drop from the PGA Tour in the controversial LIV Golf series caused one of his sponsors, the Royal Bank of Canada, to sever ties with him.
“As a result of the decisions made by professional golfers Dustin Johnson and Graeme McDowell to play the opening of the LIV Golf Invitational Series, RBC is terminating its sponsorship deal with both players,” the company said in a statement. “We wish them all the best in their future endeavors.”
Other prominent golfers such as McDowell, Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter, Kevin Na, Lee Westwood, Louis Oosthuizen, Martin Kaymer, Charl Schwartzel and Talor Gooch will take part in the LIV Golf Invitational Series in London from 9 to 11 June.
According to reports, the new league has been willing to throw significant money to attract old and current players.
Golf legend Jack Nicklaus said in early May that he had been offered $ 100 million for an executive role, although on Tuesday he told reporters he had “no interest in wanting to do something like this … my loyalty has been to the PGA Tour. “
Phil Mickelson, meanwhile, was one of the first golfers to line up with the league, although he will not be competing in London.
Mickelson’s controversial comments in November to his biographer Alan Shipnuck about why he supported the Saudi-backed league were made public in February:
“They are mothers of fear to get involved with. We know they killed [Washington Post reporter and U.S. resident Jamal] Khashoggi and have a horrible human rights record. There they execute people for being gay. Knowing all this, why should I raise it? Because this is a unique opportunity in life to reshape the workings of the PGA Tour. They were able to come out with manipulative, coercive and strong arm tactics because we, the players, had no choice. A guy as nice as [PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan] it seems that unless you have leverage, it will not do what is right. And Saudi money has finally given us that influence. I’m not even sure I want to [the SGL] to succeed, but only the idea allows us to do things with it [PGA] Gira. “
Mickelson has not played in any professional tournaments since January.
Saudi Arabia’s history of human rights violations and sports laundering has made LIV Golf a controversial endeavor. Meanwhile, the PGA Tour has fought the threat of talent dropout by not giving up a player for the London event and threatening to withdraw players from their affiliation if they join the breakaway league.
Johnson’s desertion was a big surprise, as he had previously announced that he would stay with the PGA Tour.
“I am fully committed to the PGA Tour,” he said in a statement in February. “I am grateful for the opportunity to play on the best tour in the world and for all that it has provided for me and my family.”
On Tuesday, Johnson’s agent, David Winkle, issued a statement on behalf of the golfer, saying it was “in his best interest and his family’s” to join LIV Golf and that Johnson “has never had a problem with the PGA Tour and he is grateful for all that he has given him, but in the end I felt that this was too convincing to pass up. “