Shortly after the US Masters 2022, the Saudi Golf League (SGL) is making headlines again. Just a few kilometers from Augusta National Golf Club, Greg Norman is said to have met with potential players of the new league. Among them were some high-profile members of the PGA and European Tour. “The interest we’ve had … Well, I had a player sitting in my office 48 hours ago who’s won a couple of major majors,” Norman told the Telegraph in an April 12, 2022, interview. The PGA and DP World Tour (formerly the European Tour) are not pleased: “They can’t park their tanks on our turf much more obviously.”
The first names are fixed
The turmoil surrounding Phil Mickelson and the various cancellations of PGA stars, including Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, Jon Rahm and Collin Morikawa, set back the Saudi Golf League. Greg Norman revealed in an interview with The Telegraph, “It was a slap in the face, no question about it.” But Norman is not letting that get him down. According to him, interest in SGL continues unabated. “We respected the Masters and let it play out, but now our trip [ed. to Augusta] is finally coming to fruition – for the players, not for me,” Norman told the newspaper. “They have a right to get what they want. That’s why they’re still very, very, very interested. We have players under contract, as opposed to the white noise you hear out there.” Four of those players are said to be Ryder Cup stars Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood, as well as five-time PGA Tour winner Kevin Na and two-time major winner Bubba Watson. The latter, however, made it clear only a few hours after the publication of the interview with Greg Norman that he would continue to play on the PGA Tour.
Bubba Watson prefers US Open and 150th Open over Saudi League
The former world number two recently published his tournament schedule for the coming months. What is striking is not the tournaments he is playing, but which ones he is foregoing. Bubba Watson has been linked to the Saudi League in the past, but now he’s playing the RBC Canadian Open, as he revealed on Twitter. The tournament stands out from his tournament schedule because the first of eight events in the LIV Golf Internation Series starts in London at the same time. Watson’s goal, he said, is to qualify for the US Open and the 150th Open Championship. If he succeeds in doing so, Watson said there will be further changes to his tournament schedule.
Greg Norman remains convinced of the concept of the Saudi Golf League
“Honestly, it doesn’t matter who plays, we’re going to run the event,” he said. “There is a first prize of $4 million. I hope a junior player who is ranked 350th in the world wins. It will change his life, his family’s life. And then a couple of our events will go by and the top players will see someone win $6 million or $8 million and say, ‘Enough is enough, I know I can beat these guys week after week with my hands tied behind my back.” The first event addressed will be held in two months at the London Centurion Club. After that, it’s off to the U.S., among other places, where Greg Norman and SGL are guests at the Trump courses, which are outlawed by the PGA.
Two world number one to join SGL
This was reported by the Daily Mail, also at the beginning of the week. The report says that SGL has already recruited two former world number one players, names were not mentioned. After the withdrawal of world stars such as Bryson DeChambeau and Dustin Johnson, it is unclear who the players mentioned will be.