‘Blood Money?’: What To Make Of The New Saudi-Funded Golf Series 

In one of its most important times of the year, the game of golf is at war with itself.

The Saudi-funded LIV Golf series debuted this month to an uneasy combination of fanfare and open-mindedness on one side, ridicule and disgust on the other. A few big names — among them major champions Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau and Patrick Reed, all of whom couched their decisions in grow-the-game platitudes — couldn’t resist the massive wads of cash the Saudis were flashing at them to play pressure-free, no-cut 54-hole tournaments where even the last-place finisher still earns $120,000. The new league also addresses the complaints that some golfers have with the PGA Tour, allowing players to leverage their status and fame into bigger paydays, while the Tour remains a strict meritocracy where payouts correspond to performance alone.