What's happened
Top golfers, including Jon Rahm, are defecting to LIV Golf, a Saudi-backed league, causing upheaval in the professional golf world.
Why it matters
The defection of top golfers to LIV Golf is causing significant upheaval in the professional golf world, leading to divisions and controversy within the sport.
What the papers say
The Independent reports that Shane Lowry is not surprised by the defections and remains hopeful for the future of the men's game. The New York Times highlights the ongoing acrimony within the PGA Tour following the secretive negotiations with Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund. The Times provides insights into Viktor Hovland's criticism of PGA Tour chiefs and his decision not to join LIV Golf, while also mentioning the potential departure of other players. The Independent also features Paul McGinley's accusation of Jon Rahm betraying golf fans' trust after his defection to LIV Golf.
How we got here
The defection of top golfers to LIV Golf has been ongoing, with ongoing acrimony within the PGA Tour and criticism of the secretive negotiations with Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund.
More on these topics
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Jon Rahm RodrÃguez is a Spanish professional golfer. He is the current world number 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking, having first achieved that rank after winning the Memorial Tournament in July 2020.
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The Super Golf League is a proposed golf league. SGL is owned by LIV Golf, which is financed by the Public Investment Fund, the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia.
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Rory McIlroy MBE is a professional golfer from Northern Ireland who is a member of both the European and PGA Tours. He is a former world number one in the Official World Golf Ranking, having spent over 100 weeks in that position during his career.
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The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main professional golf tours played by men in the United States and North America. It organizes most of the events on the flagship annual series of tournaments also known as the PGA Tour, as well as PGA Tour Champions
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The Ryder Cup is a biennial men's golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States. The competition is contested every two years with the venue alternating between courses in the United States and Europe.
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Viktor Hovland is a Norwegian professional golfer. He won the 2018 U.S. Amateur. In 2020, he won the Puerto Rico Open, becoming the first Norwegian to win on the PGA Tour.