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PGA Denies Waivers to Golfers Hoping to Play in Saudi-Sponsored LIV Tournament in London
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The PGA Tour is preventing golfers from participating in a rival, upstart golf league funded by Saudi investors.
On Tuesday, the organization sent a memo to its players that denied permission to play in the LIV Golf Invitational Series tournament scheduled to begin on June 9.
"I would like to share the PGA TOUR's decision regarding conflicting event and media release requests for the Saudi Golf League's event to be played in London during the week of the RBC Canadian Open," Tyler Dennis, the senior VP and chief of operations at the PGA Tour, said in a letter obtained by PEOPLE.
"We have notified those who have applied that their request has been declined in accordance with the PGA TOUR Tournament Regulations," Dennis continued. "As such, TOUR members are not authorized to participate in the Saudi Golf League's London event under our Regulations. As a membership organization, we believe this decision is in the best interest of the PGA TOUR and its players."
As noted by Golfweek, all PGA members must be granted an event release to compete in events outside of the Tour.
The PGA Tour's representatives declined to comment on the situation, and LIV did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's inquiry.
The LIV Golf Invitational Series tournament will occur over three days at Centurion Club in London and is the first event for the newly-created golf organization.
In October 2021, the group — which is part of LIV Golf Investments — appointed former golfer Greg Norman as its chief operating officer.
But LIV has drawn criticism for its ties to the Public Investment Fund, a sovereign wealth fund that makes investments on behalf of Saudi Arabia, ESPN previously reported. Saudi Arabia has long been criticized for human rights abuses.
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Norman responded to the PGA's memo in a statement published via CBS Sports.
"Sadly, the PGA Tour seems intent on denying professional golfers their right to play golf, unless it's exclusively in a PGA Tour tournament," Norman said. "This is particularly disappointing in light of the Tour's non-profit status, where its mission is purportedly 'to promote the common interests of professional tournament golfers.' Instead, the Tour is intent on perpetuating its illegal monopoly of what should be a free and open market."
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"The Tour's action is anti-golfer, anti-fan, and anti-competitive," Norman added. "But no matter what obstacles the PGA Tour puts in our way, we will not be stopped. We will continue to give players options that promote the great game of golf globally."
The LIV Tour already has plans for more events in cities including Portland, Boston, Chicago, Miami, and Bangkok, throughout 2022.
