Golf fans have been wondering why the PGA Tour’s exodus of star players to LIV Golf continues. LIV’s new members frequently gave ambiguous or defensive answers when asked why they join the Saudi-backed tour.
No. 7 Justin Thomas recently turned down lucrative money from the series to stay with PGA last month. Thomas said he wished his former tour colleagues who have joined LIV Golf to say they did so for financial gain instead of telling the masses that they did it to improve the game.
“Like, I personally would gain a lot more respect for that,” Thomas said. “But the more the players keep talking and saying that this is for the betterment of the game, the more agitated and irritated I get about it.”
However, Charles Howell III, Paul Casey, and Jason Kokrak, who left the PGA Tour earlier this month, denied joining the rival tour for the money.
Howell, who has won three times on the PGA Tour in over two decades, insisted he was not doing it for money.
“Money didn’t play a role,” the 43-year-old said. “Money was not a factor. For me, I’ve been [on the PGA Tour] for 22 years, and it’s been awesome.”
“I’ve got nothing but great things to say about the PGA Tour, what they’ve given me, the opportunities, et cetera. But when this came along, I’m 43 years old, I’ve done a lot of that. I still love the game. I love the game more today than I did five years ago.”
Howell established himself as one of the Tour’s most consistent players, making the cut in 609 events, more than 76 percent of the time, with 98 top tens and 16 runner-up finishes. Howell has amassed $42 million in earnings, placing him 21st on the career earnings list.
LIV Golf Controversy
9/11 Justice, a group representing family members of those killed in the 9/11 tragedy, released a television commercial criticizing LIV Golf’s connection to Saudi Arabia.
“By joining LIV, players have shamelessly partnered with the very country that U.S. intelligence reports prove had numerous connections to the attacks on Sept. 11,” group chairperson Terry Strada told the press.
Casey said he was fully aware of the implications of his decision. Casey, who has since competed in a number of Saudi invitationals, said he had “seen change in the kingdom”.
“I’ve been to the kingdom a couple of times, and I’ve seen change,” said Casey.
Kokrak was “on the fence” about leaving the PGA Tour until he watched the first two LIV tournaments this year. That was when he noticed a slew of golfers guaranteed eight-figure appearance fees preparing to split a whopping $25 million in prize money, including $120,000 for the last-place finisher.
Casey, Kokrak, and Howell all declined to answer further questions about Saudi Arabia’s history of human rights violations against women and the LGBTQ community.
The Saudi sovereign wealth fund is said to have made upfront individual payments ranging from $90 million to $200 million to golf stars such as Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, and Bryson DeChambeau through LIV Golf.