19 April 2023 , 11:46
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Bryson DeChambeau believes that claims LIV Golf is a branch of sportswashing for the government of Saudi Arabia have been 'kicked to the kerb', with the American staunchly defending the rebel circuit.
DeChambeau became one of the marquee names to leave the PGA Tour and join LIV last summer. The breakaway league has drawn plenty of criticism since kicking off 10 months ago, most notably due to its links to the Saudi Arabian government.
As a result, LIV is solely backed by the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, leading to many within professional golf labelling the rebel series a form of sportswashing.
Charities including Amnesty International have been quick to slam the Saudi-backed league, labelling the players 'willing stooges of Saudi sportswashing' due to the Middle Eastern state's poor human rights record. Ahead of this week's event in Adelaide, Crushers GC captain DeChambeau was questioned on the controversies.
LIV players have become accustomed to addressing their sportswashing links, and the US Open star believes the breakaway circuit has already rubbished such claims. "Well, we talked about that last year, and we already kind of kicked that to the curb," DeChambeau said.
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Bryson DeChambeau joined LIV Golf last summer (Getty Images)"It's something that I truthfully believe is completely inaccurate. People have their opinions and their perspectives on it, but we certainly don't feel that way. We're playing golf here." The American is not the first LIV star to play down the idea of sportswashing, at will not be the last.
Those who have chosen to join the breakaway series have been accused of taking 'blood money' after signing on the dotted line, a term LIV CEO Greg Norman is not a fan of. Speaking last June, Norman told Fox News: " Look, I’m disappointed people go down that path, quite honestly.
Greg Norman is the man in charge of LIV Golf (NurPhoto via Getty Images)"If they want to look at it in prism, then why does the PGA Tour have 23 sponsors doing 40 plus billion dollars worth of business with Saudi Arabia? Why is it OK for the sponsors?
"Will Jay Monahan [PGA Tour Commissioner] go to each and every one of those CEOs of the 23 companies that are investing into Saudi Arabia and suspend them and ban them? The hypocrisy in all this, it’s so loud. It’s deafening.