Months After Turning the Heads in the Golf World With the LIV Golf, PGA Tour Merger, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Makes an Honest Confession

In June 2023, the golf world shook when the PGA Tour announced a $3 billion merger with LIV. With little concrete information regarding the partnership, the journey of the LIV Golf-Tour alliance has not been an easy one. Nevertheless, one can’t help but agree that the game of golf will undergo a lot of changes with the merger, especially with the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia.

Despite garnering immense voices from parts of the golf community, the apparent heir has always been staunch in his beliefs, focusing on the advantages of the alliance. And he has continued to be so as the Royal Prince made an honest confession regarding the same, calling the merger nothing less than “a game changer for the golf industry!”

The Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia shares his views on the LIV Golf and PGA Tour merger

In an exclusive interview with Bret Baier on Fox News, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, was queried about “sports washing”, a charge put forth by a group of people who are against the Middle Eastern state investing heavily in sports, including golf. And, while replying to the same, the Prince made sure to emphasize the advantages of the merger while revealing his thoughts on the same.

The Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia mentioned how he would continue with the act of “sport washing” if it would increase his GDP by one percent. Continuing on his reply, the Chairman of the Council of Economic and Development Affairs said, “I don’t care. I have 1% growth in GDP from sport, and I am aiming for another 1.5%. Call it whatever you want,” while expressing his committed stance regarding the investment.

Elucidating more on the LIV Golf-PGA Tour merger that came about this year, he was quick to point out how the new alliance was “a game changer for the golf industry.” The Crown Prince made sure to emphasize the competition that the new changes will bring to the game. Expressing his view on the same, he said, “You will have lot of competition; you will have focus on developing the game,” all the while explaining how that is good for the players and fans who love the sport.

Saudi Arabia has invested billions of dollars worth of money into the sports industry, especially golf, through the Public Investment Fund. Such an investment has turned a lot of heads as US Senators went ahead to seek full clarity of the deal a while back!

The US Senate subpoenaes the PIF

Although the PGA Tour commissioner expressed his belief that the deal had been made keeping in mind what was best for the sport, during their second hearing, the upper chamber of the US Congress summoned the officials of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund to reveal information related to the merger. Sen. Richard Blumenthal was especially vocal as he mentioned the need for the growing investments to have oversight in the country, which it lacks as of now.

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Staunch on his belief that the PIF was spreading its influence through the country by exploiting the loopholes in the system, he went ahead to issue a subpoena to USSA International LLC, the fund’s U.S. subsidiary, in a bid to analyze the investments. One can only wait and see what will transpire in the future as new developments come to light over time.

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