LIV Golf CEO and commissioner Greg Norman is visiting Capitol Hill later this week to debate the brand new circuit’s plans and enterprise mannequin with lawmakers, a LIV Golf spokesperson confirmed to ESPN on Monday.
Norman, a two-time Open Championship winner, hopes to coach lawmakers about what the brand new circuit is doing to alter skilled golf and concerning the PGA Tour’s alleged efforts to forestall it from changing into a official rival for one of the best golfers on the planet.
Some federal lawmakers have publicly expressed issues concerning the league’s controversial ties to Saudi Arabia.
“LIV Golf is coming to the Hill this week to satisfy with lawmakers from each events,” LIV Golf spokesperson Jonathan Grella instructed ESPN in an announcement Monday. “Given the PGA Tour’s makes an attempt to stifle our progress in reimagining the sport, we predict it is crucial to coach members on LIV’s enterprise mannequin and counter the Tour’s anti-competitive efforts.”
On Monday, Politico first reported Norman’s plans to journey to Washington.
Final week, Norman stated his upstart circuit, financed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Funding Fund, has no want to speak with the rival PGA Tour a few truce.
Norman stated he tried to speak to PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan previously about making an attempt to determine how the leagues can coexist however is not enthusiastic about doing so.
“We’ve got little interest in sitting down with them, to be sincere with you, as a result of our product is working,” Norman instructed The Australian in an interview final week.
A number of previous main championship winners, together with Cameron Smith, Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau and Patrick Reed, have been lured to the brand new circuit with signing bonuses reportedly price as a lot as $100 million to $200 million.
In a federal antitrust lawsuit filed towards the PGA Tour in August, legal professionals for LIV Golf and a handful of its gamers accused the PGA Tour of improperly suspending members for enjoying in LIV Golf tournaments. It additionally accused the PGA Tour of pressuring distributors, brokers, broadcast companions and sponsors to not work with LIV Golf.
The PGA Tour has denied the claims in a response to the lawsuit.
The U.S. Division of Justice has additionally opened an investigation into whether or not the PGA Tour is performing illegally as a monopoly, sources beforehand confirmed to ESPN.
LIV Golf has additionally been unable to get recognition from the Official World Golf Rating, which incorporates Monahan amongst its board members. The world rating standings are used to find out exemptions to the 4 main championships.
Smith, the third-ranked participant on the planet, received LIV Golf’s fifth occasion, at Wealthy Harvest Farms exterior Chicago, on Sunday.
“Hopefully shut [to getting world ranking points],” Smith instructed reporters Sunday. “I feel for all the blokes on the tour, it could imply quite a bit to get world rating factors. I suppose there’s quite a bit on the road with the rating factors, stepping into majors, stuff like that. Yeah, there must be [a resolution] fairly quickly, I feel. The sector right here is powerful sufficient and deep sufficient to the place it warrants that, and hopefully it is quickly.”
