Senate Committee To Investigate PGA-LIV Golf Agreement
deadline.comA Senate committee has launched an investigation into the agreement between the PGA and the Saudi-backed LIV Golf League, announced last week despite legal and public acrimony between the two organizations.
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), the chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, said that the investigation “is key to understanding the potential risks posed by the Saudi government assuming control of this cherished American institution.” In a letter to PGA Commissioner Jay Monahan, Blumenthal wrote that the U.S.
golf league’s “sudden and drastic reversal of position concerning LIV Golf raise serious questions regarding the reasons for and terms behind the announced agreement.” Blumenthal is requesting documents and other information related to the agreement.
He cited concerns that the Saudi investments are a form of sportswashing, or softening its image despite a “deeply disturbing human rights record at home and abroad.” “In fact, prior to this agreement, PGA Tour was one of the loudest critics of LIV Golf’s affiliation with Saudi Arabia.” Monahan was the target of intense criticism when the deal was announced, given his past focus on LIV’s links to Saudi Arabia.
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