David has covered the last 12 Ryder Cups and every Masters tournament since 1999. Its crazy how for $150,000 you can get George W. Bush to speak at your event, or $750,000 to get Sting to sing at your pool party. All that would do is dumb down one of the most intricate issues in sports. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. His big concern is that bumper appearance fees could make players less hungry for success and admitted he had suffered from that problem himself early in his career. Has he played in Saudi Arabia? Yet not once, out of all the players Ive caddied for, has there been a discussion of skipping an overseas event, and the guaranteed check that comes with it, because of the complicated tapestry of foreign relations. What hes said: I havent had much communication with them and I love [the Pebble Beach Pro-Am], so I dont think there would have been really a place where I would have had an opportunity to play there, because I would have been playing here.. However, there is one item that grabs players attention, and thats the safety of themselves and their families. Certain dates in history become significant upon reflection. Hovlands comments make it clear he wants to continue playing the PGA Tour, but only so long as the best players in the world continue as well. You cant find a player near the top of the world rankings that has supported the AT&T Pebble Beach tournament more than Dustin has, he said. I do. The 2021 Fed-Ex Cup champion said, I think it's a complicated thing and I don't think there's an easy answer. Join InsideGOLF for only $20 - includes instant $20 Fairway Jockey credit! The uncomfortable questions for golf and its role in Saudi sports plans We were told the soldiers were there for protection, but it was unclear who or what they were exactly protecting. Ever wonder why guys like Spieth, McIlroy, and Bubba Watson add events in places like China, Malaysia, Dubai and Abu Dhabi to their schedules? lured by appearance fees to make this the . Tue Feb 1 2022 - 18:04. Punishing them could create resentment for the players and that creates a problem between the tours. All rights reserved. Though the catalyst for these international appearances is money, I do think good can come of it. The 2022 Saudi International final leaderboard is headed by winner Harold Varner III, who earned the Asian Tour win at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club in King Abdullah Economic City,. Not so much pawns in this game but the kings, it seems fitting that it could end up in court. Ive always said I am a worldwide player who plays all over the world. It includes Johnson, the defending champion who also won the title in 2019, and 2020 winner Graeme McDowell. However, the alleged link to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who chairs the PIF, has bothered plenty beyond golfs bubble. Tiger Woods has never performed in Saudi Arabia and it will be a surprise now if he ever does. USE OF AND/OR REGISTRATION ON ANY PORTION OF THIS SITE CONSTITUTES ACCEPTANCE OF OURVISITOR AGREEMENT(UPDATED 1/6/23),PRIVACY AND COOKIES NOTICE(UPDATED 1/4/23) ANDCALIFORNIA PRIVACY NOTICE. Is he interested? Nonetheless, Saudi Arabia should be assessed differently in specific relation to golf because of the rising scale of the attachment. As many know, Mcilroy has already missed two events which cost him a 3 million deduction from his PIP earnings. In theory, that is. DeChambeau is currently in Saudi Arabia for the controversial Saudi International and it . Sergio Garcia, who will be playing in Saudi Arabia next week, agrees that the Tours should not try to scare players off. Clare Fleetwood, wife and manager of Tommy, confirmed that he has applied for a waiver but said no decision has been made on whether he will compete in the event. It is now the second time in recent memory that Koepka has been the subject of rules conversations, as the four-time Major winner also was the subject of some controversy at the Masters when Elliott appeared to indicate which club he used to Gary Woodland on the Par 5, 15th. RELATED: Undercover Caddie: Do tour pros cheat? Speaking before this weeks Saudi International, where players have been tempted by huge appearance fees, Westwood, 48, was still able to make one perceptive remark about the Saudis investment in the Asian Tour. There has been a critical error on this website. Rumors are flying that he ditched the WGC-Bridgestone this year to play in the Open De France. Players choosing to play will face sanctions, although it is expected that it would take committing to a series or league to prompt a DP World Tour ban. While many players controversially received lucrative appearance fees to compete in the Asian Tour event, the actually prize money payout for the tournament was $5 million, with Varner earning a first-place prize of $1 million. Jacobsen, 67, who retired from competitive golf this week and spends most of his time as a golf analyst for NBC Sports, had some choice words for the 20-odd PGA Tour pros, including Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau and Phil Mickelson, who elected to take guaranteed money and play the Asian Tour's Saudi International instead of a staple of . It appeared Watson would be the surprise winner on Sunday, the two-time Masters champion playing a flawless round after starting the day six back of Varner. A Tour spokesperson confirmed to Golfweek that a decision on waiver applications is not required until 30 days before a tournament starts. Brooks Koepka received a 200-club-length relief in one of the more strange rulings at LIV Golf Singapore over the weekend, and thats not an exact estimate for clarification. And aside from the week on social media, I didnt see Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Justin Rose or any of the stars who were in the Saudi field last year become less popular with fans in the United States. What hes said: To be honest, I havent thought a lot about it. One agent told Golfweek that some elite players are believed to have signed multi-year agreements to appear at the Saudi International, deals that would be jeopardized if the Tour denies a waiver. From that side of things, I would consider doing that, for sure. Yes in 2022. Tiger Woods holds the Tour's all-time mark for consecutive cuts made with 142. Johnson, a man who does not need an NDA to say little, could not disclose whether he had received a Poulter-like offer but added: Its not similar. Take that to mean bigger. All rights reserved. Im a PAC member and I have a lot of belief in Jay Monahan and the product that theyre going to give us in the future. We have requested a release and dont know when well hear back, but I have heard verbally that the Tour is still taking everything under consideration, said David Winkle, Johnsons longtime agent. Prior to joining the team at GOLF, he attended the University of Texas followed by stops with the Texas Golf Association, Team USA, the Green Bay Packers and the PGA Tour. WHAT IS THE TOURNAMENT PURSE FOR THE 2022 SAUDI INTERNATIONAL?