|
European Tour chief executive Keith Pelley
announced a three-year partnership with the kingdom in 2018
aimed at expanding the boundaries of golf in the Middle East.
But the $3.5 million event, which will be staged in King
Abdullah Economic City, has split opinion in the golfing world.
The Saudi regime is under intense international criticism after
the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi last October.
The kingdom has also been trying to shake off its
ultra-conservative image, but the reform push has been
accompanied by a crackdown on dissent, including the arrests of
women's rights activists, clerics and intellectuals.
English golfer Paul Casey confirmed last week that he would skip
the event because of Saudi Arabia's "human rights violations".
Tiger Woods, a 14-times major winner and one of the sport's
biggest names, also turned down the biggest potential overseas
paycheck of his career to skip the tournament, according to
media reports.
Casey went public about his decision to skip the event last
week.
"As I continue to face questions about my participation, I feel
it's important to clarify I will not be playing in next week's
Saudi International event," he said on Instagram.
"Contrary to reports, I had also never signed a contract to
play. I hope this addresses any confusion."
World number one Justin Rose and American trio Brooks Koepka,
Dustin Johnson and Bryson DeChambeau, however, will appear at
the event. They are set to collect huge appearance fees for
teeing off at the Royal Greens Golf and Country Club.
The players have avoided questions on the kingdom's human rights
record. Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee called them
"ventriloquists for an abhorrent regime".
"Politically ,I get why you have to capitulate to Saudi Arabia
and maybe from a business standpoint even," said Chamblee, a
former player on the U.S. PGA Tour.
"But a more definitive personal rebuke can be shown to the PR
stunt of this regime by not participating, by refusing to
participate, because your participation in some way enriches
this regime."
After winning the Farmers Insurance Open in San Diego on Sunday
to consolidate his place at the top of the rankings, Rose
defended his decision to play.
"I'm not a politician, I'm a pro golfer," the 38-year-old
Englishman said. "There's other reasons to go play it.
"It's a good field, there's going to be a lot of world ranking
points to play for, by all accounts it's a good golf course and
it will be an experience to experience Saudi Arabia."
'MAD SCIENTIST'
Away from the geopolitical and ethical ramifications of playing
in the tournament, last week's Dubai Desert Classic showed
DeChambeau could be a strong contender.
He shot 24 under par over four days in Dubai to win his first
title outside the United States and his fifth since the start of
2018 -- more than any other player.
DeChambeau, a physics graduate who has earned the nickname "mad
scientist" and famously plays with a set of single-length irons,
believes his game is peaking at the right time.
"We've got a better understanding of how rough shots come out,
of how bunker shots come out, of how putts break... all these
little things we've accumulated are adding up, and... it's kind
of like a domino effect," he said.
(Reporting by Hardik Vyas in Bengaluru, editing by Larry King)
[© 2019 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2019 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.
 |
|
