PGA Tour deal with Saudi-funded LIV Golf faces scrutiny in Senate hearing

The PGA Tour connected Tuesday defended its arguable woody with the Saudi-backed LIV Golf league earlier senators, respective of whom are captious of the agreement.

The Senate Homeland Security Committee's subcommittee connected investigations kicked disconnected its archetypal proceeding astir the merger of the PGA Tour's and LIV's commercialized assets.

A typical from LIV Tour oregon Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund volition not beryllium contiguous astatine the proceeding due to the fact that CEO Greg Norman is retired of the country, according to a spokesperson. Ron Price, main operating serviceman of PGA Tour, is slated to testify.

The June merger announcment shocked the sports world, with galore critics connected Capitol Hill accusing LIV, which is funded by the PIF, of "sportswashing," oregon spreading authorities power done sports.

While the subcommittee's chair, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., is simply a professional of the deal, ranking subordinate Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., took a softer tone.

"I anticipation the proceeding gives the PGA the accidental to picture the situation it faces successful operating and managing nonrecreational golf," Johnson told CNBC's "Squawk Box" connected Tuesday. "The PGA was faced with an existential menace and this is what their trying to bash to sphere the crippled of play and the purity of the contention astatine the highest level."

Critics person besides pointed to the Saudi government's ties to the 9/11 attacks, which the Saudis person denied, and the sidesplitting of Washington Post writer Jamal Khashoggi.

A spokesperson for Blumenthal said the committee is preparing to perceive grounds from Norman arsenic good arsenic circuit golfers sometime successful the future.

"Today's proceeding is astir overmuch much than the crippled of golf…It is astir however a brutal, repressive authorities tin bargain power – so adjacent instrumentality implicit – a cherished American instauration simply to cleanse its nationalist image," helium said successful a statement. "A authorities that has killed journalists, jailed and tortured dissidents, fostered the warfare successful Yemen, and supported different violent activities, including 9/11. It's called sportswashing."

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