Daily Times

BANGKOK: The first in a new series of Saudi-backed golf tournaments gets under way in Thailand this week, even as the oil-rich kingdom’s plans for a big-money super league flounder in the face of rejection by top stars.The 10-event International Series tees off at the beach resort of Hua Hin on Thursday, with Australian great Greg Norman promising it will make the Asian Tour, with which it is partnered, a “powerful new force” in the global game.But the tournament risks being overshadowed by the ongoing row over the Saudi-backed bid, fronted by Norman, to create a golf Super League.Norman last week accused the PGA Tour of bullying its players into shunning the upstart league, after a host of top names including Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Rory McIlroy and world number one Jon Rahm publicly turned their backs on it.Despite a bumper $1.5 million purse, the entry list for this week’s tournament in Thailand is largely composed of Asian Tour regulars, with Japan’s Ryosuke Kinoshita, 77th in the world standings, the highest ranked player to feature.

Earlier this month Norman announced that his LIV Golf Investments organisation, which is backed by the Saudi sovereign wealth fund, was boosting its financial commitment to the Asian Tour to $300 million over the next 10 years.That’s an increase of $100 million from the previously announced figure of $200 million, and will see the International Series bolster the Asian Tour calendar to “at least 25 events” in 2022-23.

But Saudi Arabia’s dramatic entry into the golfing world has not been universally welcomed, with some accusing Riyadh of another round of “sportswashing” its human rights record, after its purchase of English Premier League side Newcastle United.The US and European golf establishments have sought to see off the challenge, with the PGA Tour reportedly threatening bans for any player who signed up for the proposed Saudi league.