LIV Golf, the ambitious new venture backed by Saudi Arabia, has set its sights on creating a women's circuit that could rival the LPGA Tour and the Ladies European Tour.
The chief executive of LIV Golf, Greg Norman, has revealed that he has approached some of the top American and European players to gauge their interest in joining the proposed tour, which would offer lucrative prize money and global exposure.
Norman, the former men's world No 1 and two-time Open champion, said he was confident that LIV Golf could attract enough talent and sponsors to make the women's circuit a success.
"We have a vision to grow the game of golf for everyone, and that includes women," Norman told The Times. "We believe there is a huge opportunity to create a world-class women's tour that can showcase the best players and inspire the next generation of female golfers."
Norman said he had received positive feedback from some of the players he had contacted, but declined to name them. He said he was aware of the potential backlash from the existing tours and governing bodies, which have been wary of LIV Golf's intentions and motives.
"We are not here to disrupt or destroy anything," Norman said. "We are here to offer an alternative and a choice for the players who want to be part of something new and exciting. We are not asking them to leave their tours or renounce their memberships. We are simply inviting them to join us and see what we can offer."
Norman said LIV Golf was planning to launch the women's circuit in 2024, with a minimum of 15 events across five continents. He said the prize money would be comparable to the men's tour, which has already announced a $200 million (£145 million) fund for its inaugural season next year.
"We want to create parity and equality for women in golf," Norman said. "We want to reward them for their skills and achievements, and give them the platform and exposure they deserve. We want to make them stars and role models for millions of girls around the world."
However, Norman's plans face a moral dilemma as Saudi Arabia's involvement in sport has been controversial and criticised by human rights activists and campaigners. Saudi Arabia has been accused of using sport as a tool to 'sportswash' its reputation and distract from its human rights abuses, especially against women and LGBTQ+ individuals.
Women's rights campaigners have been imprisoned, despite some reform under crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, such as an end to the ban on women driving. Western intelligence agencies claim the crown prince ordered the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018 - which he denies.
Saudi Arabia has also faced opposition from some of the leading female athletes in other sports, such as soccer. USA forward Alex Morgan, a two-time World Cup winner, recently called Saudi Arabia's tourism authority potentially sponsoring the 2023 Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand "bizarre" . "Morally, it just doesn't make sense," Morgan said. "It's bizarre that Fifa has looked to have a Visit Saudi sponsorship for the Women’s World Cup when I would not even be supported and accepted in that country."
How will this sit within golf and the sporting community? The words 'Saudi' and 'sportswashing' have become synonymous with controversy and criticism in professional men's golf, ever since LIV Golf made its controversial debut in the sport.
Male players such as Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter and Graeme McDowell were lambasted for taking part in the inaugural LIV tournament, which offered huge prize money but also raised ethical concerns. Yet, a week later, the Ladies European Tour staged the Aramco Team Series London, another Saudi-sponsored event, without much fuss or fanfare. The Aramco Team Series is a novel concept that features team events across three continents, with $1m prize funds for each tournament. The teams consist of four players: one captain who picks another pro player, one randomly assigned pro player and one amateur player.
Will there be bigger noise made on this? It will certainly be interesting to see.
