Tiger Woods Turned Down a Saudi Offer of $800 Million to Play in LIV Golf and Ditch the PGA Tour

Tiger shows he is a loyal American Unlike the Golfers who Took Saudi Money to kill the PGA Tour

The Guardian reports this morning and LIV President Greg Norman confirmed, that the Saudis offered Tiger Woods a signing bonus of $800 million to join the LIV which is seeking to displace the PGA Tour, an American institution. According to reports, Tiger turned it down almost immediately. Tiger has been publicly critical of the LIV and the professional golfers who abandoned the PGA Tour for the huge signing bonuses and high tournament payments offered by the Saudi Sovereign Wealth Fund.

Norman confirmed the offer to Tiger on the Tucker Carlson show last night on Fox. Norman told the same story to the Washington Post two months ago, and the Saudis have not denied it.

Various reports from the United Kingdom state that unlike Tiger, Phil Mikelson accepted a Saudi signing bonus of $200 million. Dustin Johnson received a $150 million signing bonus, and Johnson is the only LIV player in the top 20 of world golf rankings, and Johnson has a no. 18 position.

When Norman was asked why the Saudi payments to professional golfers have created such an uproar, he said, “I don’t know” and “I really don’t care.”

Criticism of LIV has come from other golf professionals who say LIV is trying to kill the PGA Tour. Many have criticized the Saudis, and in particular MBS, who according to US Intelligence Agencies, organized and approved the Saudi hit squad that assassinated Washington Post reporter, Jamal Khashoggi, inside the Saudi Embassy in Istanbul while his fiancé waited outside, and then the Saudi bone saw specialist dismembered Khashoggi’s body so that they could remove it from the Embassy without Khashoggi’s fiancé knowing or seeing what had happened. Others complain about the Saudis dismal human rights record and their frequent use of Chop-Chop Square in Riyadh to publicly behead Saudi dissidents and perhaps some criminals. Also protesting this Saudi invasion of PGA Tour golf are the survivors of the 2,900 Americans killed on 9-11 where by 15 out of 19 Saudis were airplane hijackers. Did the Saudi Government provide funds for the 9-11 attack on the US by making excess payments to Osama’s father much as contractors overpaid Donald Trump’s father so funds could go to his children, including Donald, and avoid inheritance taxes?

The Associated Press also reported the Saudi payments to PGA Tour golfers, and the Saudis have not denied them.

Guardian writer Ewan Murray states that the Saudis have “bought” a lot of golfers who are past their prime. He specifically mentions Henrik Stenson, the $4,000,000 winner at Trump’s Bedminster, NJ course last weekend, though according to Murray, Stenson seldom breaks 72 now adays, and he can now enjoy the shortened 54 -hole LIV format designed for their older golfers. According to the Guardian’s Murray,

Stenson falls into a category that includes other LIV converts such as Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood, Phil Mikelson, Paul Casey, Sergio Garcia, Graeme McDowell, Martin Kaymer and Charl Schwartzel. Their best days are behind them.

Murray points to other members of the informal over the hill club joining the LIV for the money, including Louis Oosthuizen, Brooks Koepka, Patrick Reed and even Bryson DeChambeau. And Greg Norman is way over the hill but now enjoys an undisclosed but it is reported by Murray that Norman is “paid an exorbitant salary.”

Murray of the Guardian concludes,

Should Mohammad bin Salman sense he is being taken advantage of the future will not look pretty for LIV golfers.

When MBS says the next LIV event will be held near the Saudi Embassy in Istanbul, those LIV golfers might be advised to skip that tournament.