While the potential for a LIV Golf-PGA Tour reunification remains uncertain, the Saudi Arabia-funded league is increasingly gaining recognition in areas that once opposed it. Its broadcast partnerships have evolved from YouTube and The CW—where parts of tournaments were only available via an app—to Fox. Recently, President Donald Trump hosted LIV Golf leaders alongside PGA Tour executives at the White House, leading to a significant decrease in criticism from various quarters.
However, veteran Washington Post columnist Sally Jenkins vehemently opposes this trend. In her recent column, she launched a scathing critique of LIV, the Saudis, and the possibility of a deal:
I try not to take serious things so seriously these days — otherwise I’ll stroke — and this @pgatourus.bsky.social “reunification” with @livgolfleague.bsky.social isn’t that serious though the word makes me think Germany-Austria 1938. But here is my column: www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/…
— Sally Jenkins (@sallyjenx.bsky.social) February 23, 2025 at 9:19 AM
The opening paragraphs of Jenkins’ column are more damning than most mainstream sports media coverage of LIV Golf over the past few years:
Take your average pigsty, trample it into ooze with the feet of dozens of pork-chasers until it’s such a slimy mire that no clean shoe can gain purchase, wreath it in a clammy fog constituted by the greedy breath of zombie opportunists with dead dull cash-staring eyes, and there you have the “reunification” of golf.
Let’s just say it: The deal the PGA Tour is pursuing with its Saudi rivals is filthy. LIV Golf, the circuit bankrolled by the same Saudis the PGA Tour now courts, is as commercially appealing as a cross between a portable toilet and Putt-Putt. Not even the words “White House meeting” can remove its odor. It’s a flop — and a game-defiling one.
Jenkins elaborates on her arguments concerning Trump’s personal benefits from LIV Golf events, revealing that he privately admitted he does not like the rival circuit’s product. She also discusses issues related to figures like Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the governor of the Public Investment Fund that finances LIV Golf, who is currently facing a lawsuit tied to allegations of involvement in serious crimes. Jenkins concludes that the PGA Tour should reject any deal that benefits LIV and allow it to fail financially; should they feel unable to do that, they must at least demand significant concessions:
No deal can go through without the approval of the PGA Tour policy board. If Woods, McIlroy, and their colleagues can’t find the stomach to reject the Saudi money, then they should at least demand huge concessions from all the desperate pork-chasing parties involved in this, including the president. And not just concessions that reward them personally while penalizing the defectors.
Among the concessions should be these: 1) A giant donation to the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund and 2) Saudi acknowledgment of its role in the assassination of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi. If the Saudis want to sportswash themselves through the PGA Tour, then make them do some damn laundry.
While Jenkins’ perspective is certainly not the only one, many former detractors of LIV Golf seem to have come to terms with the idea of a rapprochement, including Brandel Chamblee of The Golf Channel. Nonetheless, Jenkins is right that LIV’s actual product is failing to attract audiences, despite its recent deal with Fox, while the PGA Tour appears to be maintaining its health without defectors.
Concerns regarding Saudi influence, particularly related to the alleged involvement in Khashoggi’s assassination and September 11, have not diminished. However, much of the mainstream criticism has lessened, with PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan being one prominent figure to shift his position. It is noteworthy to observe Jenkins steadfastly holding to her views in a media landscape that seems increasingly favorable to LIV Golf. Others, like Pablo Torre, have also voiced critiques this week, though dissenting voices remain scarce compared to prior years.
Furthermore, the broader context of Saudi influence in sports is essential to consider. Aside from his roles with PIF and LIV, Al-Rumayyan also serves as the chairman of Premier League team Newcastle United. Saudi Arabia significantly affects the salaries of many of the world’s highest-paid athletes. The kingdom has reshaped boxing, wrestling, MMA, tennis, and is preparing to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup. As Jeremy Schaap remarked on the Awful Announcing Podcast this week, the extent of Saudi influence on sports merits careful investigation. With their increasingly visible presence and a U.S. governmental climate seemingly more supportive of their efforts, Jenkins’s critical stance remains significant amidst a growing acceptance of the Saudis in the sports world.
