NEW YORK: Greg Norman, CEO of LIV Golf, is set to meet with US lawmakers on Capitol Hill this week to discuss the Saudi-backed circuit’s ongoing dispute with the US-based PGA Tour, the Washington reported post on Monday.
“LIV Golf is coming to the Hill this week to meet with lawmakers from both parties,” an LIV spokesman told the newspaper in a statement.
“Given the PGA Tour’s attempts to halt our progress on redesigning the game, we believe it is imperative to educate members about LIV’s business model and to counter the Tour’s anti-competitive efforts.”
LIV did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. The report did not specify which lawmakers the golf round would meet with, or whether they would include representatives from both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Critics say LIV Golf, which is funded by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, amounts to a “sports wash” by a nation trying to improve its reputation amid criticism of its human rights record.
The PGA Tour has suspended players lured away by the staggering sums of money the circuit has offered. LIV counts 12 big winners among its players and offers $25 million in prize money in 54-hole no-cut tournaments.
The US Department of Justice is investigating the PGA Tour for possible antitrust violations. LIV has also joined a federal antitrust lawsuit filed by some players over their suspensions.