In the last few weeks, the Golf Super League has become a sore subject for the PGA Tour, the European Tour, and the governing bodies. Understandably so, for these entities the monopoly has been good and profitable. For me it has become an issue of blatant hypocrisy.
Now, the powers have recruited their minions in the media to peddle a narrative about the Super League and their funding sources. There is no secret Saudi Arabia is funding the endeavor, but for the PGA Tour to be outraged by this is hypocritical at best.
The European Tour has a sanctioned event played in Saudi Arabia, the Saudi International, with big names attending and handsomely paid for their appearance. I have not seen any outrage from the governing bodies.
But let us get to the meat and potatoes of this new anti-Saudi campaign. They claim the money is coming from a country with serious human rights violations. That is correct, Saudi Arabia has a dismal human rights record, and it should be held accountable for it.
If human rights violations are the barometer used by the ruling bodies to make their case against Saudi Arabia, they are in for much bigger surprises.
Let us start with one of the biggest human rights violators in the world, China. One of the most prestigious tournaments on the schedule, the WGC-HSBC Championship is played in China. Where is the outrage by the folks at the Golf Channel and PGA Tour Radio?
China’s persecution of human rights defenders, internet censorship, lack of freedom of religion, are only a few of the long list of continuous human rights violations promoted by the Chinese Communist Party.
Another place where the tour has a footprint is India. India is another country with major human rights violations, including arbitrary arrests and detentions, restrictions on freedom of expression, unfair trials, and unlawful attacks and killings of its citizens. This is just to name a few.
South Africa is also a serious human rights violator, but the European Tour has no problem conducting their business with the South African government. Among their violations: excessive use of force, unlawful killings, gender-based violence, to name a few.
This is just a short example of the hypocrisy perpetrated by the golf ruling bodies when it comes to Saudi Arabia and the Super League.
If the people at Golf Channel, PGA Tour Radio, PGA Tour, European PGA Tour, the R&A, and PGA of America, want to condemn Saudi Arabia for their dismal human rights record, by all means, but you can’t have a double standard when it comes to human rights violations.
These organizations need to do some serious soul searching about their business practices and how they support countries who are major players in the human rights violation arena. Otherwise, it is time to put a lid on it and let the free market decide.