Golf superstar and newlywed Dustin Johnson opted out of answering an awkward question about his wife Paulina Gretzky during a recent <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/liv-golf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LIV</a> press conference.
The former PGA star took one question during the event from golf social media company &#8220;Drunk by the Turn,&#8221; and it was a deserted island question that involved his wife, <a href="https://www.si.com/extra-mustard/2022/09/20/dustin-johnson-question-about-wife-paulina-gretzky-fishing-liv-golf-press-conference" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sports Illustrated</a> reported.
&#8220;As an avid fisherman, I was just wondering … if you were stranded on an island for the rest of your life, would you rather take your fishing pole or Paulina [Gretzky] if you had one choice?&#8221; the reporter asked Johnson.
The golf star just laughed and simply said, &#8220;I can&#8217;t answer that question.&#8221;
Gretzky, the daughter of NHL legend Wayne Gretzky, and Johnson tied the knot in April after first dating in 2013, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/sports/dustin-johnson-responds-awkward-question-wife-paulina-gretzky" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox News</a> noted.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
🎥 Dustin Johnson pressed with bizarre Paulina Gretzky question at LIV Golf event <a href="https://t.co/fw3TBVW2KT">https://t.co/fw3TBVW2KT</a> <a href="https://t.co/8Mc8gZn9Lf">pic.twitter.com/8Mc8gZn9Lf</a>
&mdash; New York Post Sports (@nypostsports) <a href="https://twitter.com/nypostsports/status/1572584156344745984?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 21, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Johnson ended up finishing in second place at the LIV event in Chicago, only three strokes behind British Open champion Cameron Smith, Fox News noted.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pga-tour-to-punish-players-jumping-to-saudi-backed-liv-tournament" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dustin</a>, the No. 13 world-ranked player who has won two majors, is by far one of the biggest professional golfers to recently leave the PGA for the Saudi-backed LIV Golf.
He joins the likes of other former PGA members who have decided to join LIV, including Phil Mickelson, Andy Ogletree, Branden Grace, Matt Jones, Martin Kaymer, Graeme McDowell, Kevin Na, Louis Oosthuizen, Ian Poulter, Charl Schwartzel, Hudson Swafford, Peter Uihlein, Lee Westwood, Sergio Garcia, Talor Gooch, and Turk Petit, as <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/more-top-pga-golfers-defect-to-new-saudi-backed-league-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Wire</a> previously reported.
The mass departure of golf stars led the PGA to issue a statement about those players who they said have turned their backs on the PGA Tour.
&#8220;We have followed the Tournament Regulations from start to finish in responding to those players who have decided to turn their backs on the PGA Tour by willfully violating a regulation,&#8221; a PGA release <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pga-tour-to-punish-players-jumping-to-saudi-backed-liv-tournament" target="_blank" rel="noopener">read</a>. &#8220;The players are being notified that they are suspended or otherwise no longer eligible to participate in PGA Tour tournament play, including the Presidents Cup. This also applies to all tours sanctioned by the PGA Tour: the Korn Ferry Tour, PGA Tour Champions, PGA Tour Canada and PGA Tour Latinoamerica.&#8221;
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dustin-johnson-joins-saudi-backed-tour-risks-being-banned-by-pga-tour" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dustin Johnson Joins Saudi-Backed Tour, Risks Being Banned By PGA Tour</a>

Dustin Johnson-2

Golf Superstar And Newlywed Gets Asked Awkward Question About Wife Paulina Gretzky

Celebrities

LIV Golf

Saudi Arabia

Sports

Legendary professional <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/golf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">golfers</a> Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy are launching a new professional golf league in partnership with the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/pga" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PGA</a> Tour as the tour faces increasing competition from Saudi-backed <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/liv-golf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LIV Golf</a>.
Woods and McIlroy&#8217;s TMRW Sports <a href="https://tglgolf.com/articles/2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> Wednesday the creation of TGL, a new “tech-infused golf league” that will feature teams of professional golfers that compete on a “custom-built venue in primetime on Monday nights.”
The high-tech league will <a href="https://tglgolf.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">consist</a> of six teams of three PGA Tour players that hit shots onto a virtual screen before moving to a “state-of-the-art short game complex.”
The new league will be comprised of 15 regular season matches starting in January 2024 followed by a playoff tournament.
The league was created with the intent of trying to attract a broader audience to the sport by reaching younger audiences.
“TGL is the next evolution within professional golf, and I am committed to helping lead it into the future,&#8221; Woods said in a statement. “Embracing technology to create this unique environment gives us the ability to move our sport into primetime on a consistent basis alongside so many of sports&#8217; biggest events. As a big sports fan myself, I&#8217;m excited about blending golf with technology and team elements common in other sports. We all know what it&#8217;s like to be in a football stadium or a basketball arena where you can watch every play, every minute of action unfold right in front of you. It&#8217;s something that inherently isn&#8217;t possible in traditional golf — and an aspect of TGL that will set it apart and appeal to a new generation of fans.”
“I have the utmost respect for the game of golf, and the TGL, while rooted in the traditions of the game, is taking a bold step into the increasingly tech-fueled future of sports,&#8221; McIlroy said. “TGL will tap into the appeal of team golf within an exciting, fan-friendly environment, comparable to sitting courtside at an NBA game. TGL will widen the appeal of golf to younger and more diverse fans and serve as another avenue to introduce people to the game I love.”
The new golf league comes as the PGA Tour competes against LIV Golf, founded by two-time major winner Greg Norman, which Woods has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tiger-woods-to-hold-meeting-with-top-pro-golfers-to-bolster-support-for-pga-over-liv" target="_blank" rel="noopener">campaigned</a> hard against.
LIV Golf responded to the creation of the new league with a 17-word statement, saying, “LIV Golf is clearly the best thing that’s ever happened to help the careers of professional golfers.”

The 150th Open – Previews

Tiger Woods And Rory McIlroy Launch New Pro-Golf League

Golf

Tiger Woods

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/tiger-woods" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tiger Woods</a> is scheduled to holding a meeting this week with some top professional golfers ahead of a tournament to bolster support for the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/pga" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PGA</a> as it battles against the new <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/liv-golf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LIV Golf</a> series.
ESPN <a href="https://www.espn.com/golf/story/_/id/34406098/sources-tiger-woods-meet-group-players-bmw-championship-rally-support-pga-tour-rival-liv-series">reported</a> that the meeting will include approximately 20 top players from around the world and several other &#8220;influential&#8221; PGA players who have not left for the Saudi-backed LIV Golf series.
The meeting will take place in Delaware at Wilmington Country Club ahead of the BMW Championship, which is part of the PGA TOUR’s FedExCup Playoffs.
&#8220;I’m hearing tomorrow’s PGA Tour player meeting regarding LIV is going to be a banger,&#8221; golf reporter Alan Shipnuck <a href="https://twitter.com/AlanShipnuck/status/1559325194061115392">tweeted</a>. &#8220;Supposedly everything is on the table, from major championship boycotts to Monahan’s future to a larger compromise. And Tiger M.F. Woods is expected to fly in to provide counsel/bully/cajole.&#8221;
Woods has spoken out against LIV Golf and Greg Norman, who leads the new golf tour, <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/07/12/tiger-woods-unloads-on-greg-norman-liv-golf-ahead-of-2022-british-open/">saying</a> earlier this summer that it was the right thing for the PGA to disinvite Norman to the 150th British Open at St. Andrews.
&#8220;Greg has done some things that I don’t think is in the best interest of our game, and we’re coming back to probably the most historic and traditional place in our sport,&#8221; Woods said. &#8220;I know Greg tried to do this back in the early ’90s. It didn’t work then, and he’s trying to make it work now. I still don’t see how that’s in the best interests of the game. I know what the PGA Tour stands for and what we have done and what the Tour has given us — the ability to chase after our careers and to earn what we get and the trophies we have been able to play for and the history that has been a part of this game.&#8221;
Woods slammed the players who left the PGA Tour for LIV Golf, saying that they have turned their backs on the tours that helped create them.
&#8220;The players who have chosen to go to LIV and to play there, I disagree with it,” Woods said. “I think that what they’ve done is they’ve turned their back on what has allowed them to get to this position. Some players have never got a chance to even experience it — they’ve gone right from the amateur ranks right into that organization and never really got a chance to play out here and what it feels like to play a Tour schedule or to play in some big events.&#8221;
&#8220;And, who knows what’s going to happen in the near future with world-ranking points, the criteria for entering major championships? The governing bodies are going to have to figure that out. Some of these players may not ever get a chance to play in major championships,&#8221; Woods continued. &#8220;That is a possibility that some players will never, ever get a chance to play in a major championship, never get a chance to experience this right here, walk down the fairways at Augusta National. That, to me, I just don’t understand it.&#8221;

TOUR Championship – Final Round

Tiger Woods To Hold Meeting With Top Pro Golfers To Bolster Support For PGA Over LIV

The Kingdom couldn’t buy Tiger.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/golf">Golf</a> superstar Tiger Woods turned down the staggering sum of nearly $800 million to play in the Saudi Arabia-backed <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/golf-superstar-takes-50-million-payday-to-defect-to-saudi-backed-liv-circuit">LIV Golf Invitational Series</a>, according to the tour’s CEO, Greg Norman. While it was known the tour made a strong bid for Woods, the figure emerged in an interview with Fox News Channel&#8217;s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/tucker-carlson">Tucker Carlson</a> Monday night.
&#8220;Look, Tiger is a needle mover, right?” Norman said. “So, of course you&#8217;ve got to look at the best of the best. They had originally approached Tiger before I became CEO. That number is somewhere in that [$700-800 million] neighborhood.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
&quot;The PGA Tour has 27 sponsors who do $40 billion worth of business in Saudi Arabia on an annual basis.&quot;<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LIVGolf?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LIVGolf</a> Chairman Greg Norman exposes the PGA Tour&#39;s hypocrisy in interview on Tucker Carlson. <a href="https://t.co/jMkLPHKsWf">pic.twitter.com/jMkLPHKsWf</a>
&mdash; LIV Golf Nation (@LIVGolfNation) <a href="https://twitter.com/LIVGolfNation/status/1554265020984434689?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 2, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The tour has spent nine-figure sums luring PGA stars like Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson, Bubba Watson, and others to play in its pro series. In addition to dangling huge purses for match competitions, the new tour is offering signing fees, including a reported $125 million to Johnson, and likely more for Mickelson. The PGA has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pga-tour-to-punish-players-jumping-to-saudi-backed-liv-tournament">tried to stop the exodus</a>, and made clear players who defect won’t necessarily be welcome back.
The 15-time major champion Woods has not been the same since a devastating automobile accident, but his popularity still would have made him the upstart tour’s biggest prize. Woods said prior to last month&#8217;s British Open that he doesn’t support players joining the LIV Series and compared the circuit to the senior Champions Tour.
&#8220;I think that what they&#8217;ve done is they&#8217;ve turned their back on what has allowed them to get to this position,&#8221; Woods said.
The LIV Golf Invitational Series was launched this year through a $300 million investment in the Asian Tour. Earlier this week, LIV Golf rolled out plans to expand in 2023 to 14 events, with 48 golfers competing for an unprecedented $405 million in purses.
Former President Trump hosted a LIV tournament at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, last week and has been a supporter of the tour despite <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/9-11-families-rip-trump-for-hosting-saudi-backed-golf-tournaments-at-his-courses">criticism from 9/11 families and other critics</a> of the Kingdom&#8217;s abysmal human rights record.
“I think LIV has been a great thing for Saudi Arabia, for the image of Saudi Arabia,” Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/charles-barkley-slams-door-on-new-role-in-saudi-sponsored-golf-league">told</a> The Wall Street Journal. “I think it’s going to be an incredible investment from that standpoint, and that’s more valuable than lots of other things because you can’t buy that — even with billions of dollars.”

The Masters – Final Round

Revealed: Greg Norman Says How Much Tiger Woods Turned Down To Play On Saudi-Backed Golf Tour

Tucker Carlson

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/charles-barkley">Sir Charles</a> isn’t looking to bounce from his NBA gig for a broadcasting role with the Saudi-backed <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/liv-golf">LIV Golf</a>.
After a very public flirtation with the well-funded and controversial golf tour, Charles Barkley <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/07/29/charles-barkley-ends-contract-flirtation-with-liv-golf/">told the New York Post</a> he won’t be defecting from TNT, where his basketball commentary is as hilarious as it is insightful.
“I want to thank <a style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;" href="http://www.espn.com/golf/player/_/id/323/greg-norman">Greg Norman</a> and LIV for their interest in me,” Barkley said. “I wish those guys great success and nothing but the best. But, in my best interest, and being fair to Turner &#8212; because Turner and basketball have given me every single thing in my life &#8212; It is best for me to move on and I&#8217;m staying with Turner for the rest of my TV career.”
The 59-year-old NBA Hall of Famer told ESPN on Thursday that he had not been offered a job by Norman, the CEO of the golf tour. But he sounded interested.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
🚨NEWS: Charles Barkley tells The Post he has ended discussions with LIV and he will stay at TNT. 🚨<a href="https://t.co/iC6Ee2H5SW">https://t.co/iC6Ee2H5SW</a>
&mdash; Andrew Marchand (@AndrewMarchand) <a href="https://twitter.com/AndrewMarchand/status/1553011673065308161?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 29, 2022</a></blockquote>
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“I met with Greg and I told him yes. I&#8217;m in a win-win situation,” Barkley said Thursday. “If they offer me something good, that&#8217;s great. If they don&#8217;t, I&#8217;ve got a great job at TNT.”
Barkley was adamant that criticism of the league’s support from the Kingdom’s soverign investment fund would not keep him from bolting. Several top PGA stars, including Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Bubba Watson, Bryson DeChambeau, and others have been criticized for taking huge sums of money to play on the new tour. Tiger Woods reportedly turned down nearly $1 billion to join.
“Everybody&#8217;s making up words like ‘sportswashing’ and ‘dirty money,’” Barkley said. “I&#8217;m like, listen, if you play sports, we all take money from some sources you might not love or appreciate.&#8221;
“I don&#8217;t want to be a hypocrite,” he continued. “These guys [LIV golfers] are trying to make a living. I wish them nothing but the best. Same thing with my friends on the PGA Tour. But everybody is just kinda like trying to play the moral card.”
The LIV Golf International Series was launched this year through a $300 million investment in the Asian Tour. Earlier this week, LIV Golf rolled out plans to expand in 2023 to 14 events, with 48 golfers competing for an unprecedented $405 million in purses.
Barkley is an avid golfer and a frequent participant in pro-am tournaments, although he is better known for errant tee shots and wacky wisecracks than his prowess on the links.
Former President Donald Trump&#8217;s New Jersey golf club is currently hosting the Bedminster Invitational LIV Golf tournament, and the former president took part in Thursday&#8217;s pro-am tourney &#8211; as did Barkley
&#8220;I think LIV has been a great thing for Saudi Arabia, for the image of Saudi Arabia,&#8221; Trump told the Wall Street Journal. &#8220;I think it&#8217;s going to be an incredible investment from that standpoint, and that&#8217;s more valuable than lots of other things because you can&#8217;t buy that — even with billions of dollars.&#8221;

LIV Golf Invitational – Bedminster – Pro-Am

Charles Barkley Slams Door On New Role In Saudi-Sponsored Golf League

Charles Barkley

Superstar Bubba Watson will pocket a cool $50 million to join the controversial Saudi-backed <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/greg-norman-disinvited-from-british-open-over-saudi-backed-liv-golf-series-controversy/">LIV Golf</a> circuit — joining a number of big names like Bryson DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Brooks Koepka, and Sergio Garcia — according to a report published Wednesday by The Telegraph.
Watson&#8217;s addition to the circuit may not be a huge surprise to many, since he was featured in early LIV promotional material — only to be quickly removed — and sources suggest he is likely to face a permanent PGA ban for defecting. Reports indicate that Watson, a 12-time Tour winner, is likely to captain one of four 12-man teams.
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Bubba Watson is headed to LIV Golf. 👀 <a href="https://t.co/tduhpdc22d">pic.twitter.com/tduhpdc22d</a>
&mdash; Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) <a href="https://twitter.com/GolfDigest/status/1552395459053993984?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 27, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Critics of LIV Golf have complained that the circuit is backed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, arguing that American golfers should refuse to support it because of U.S. intelligence indicating the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was the driving force behind the 2018 murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
The LIV Golf League is set to officially launch in 2023 with 12 team franchises who will participate in 14 tournaments. The complete schedule has yet to be announced, but plans include expansion across several continents in the coming months. The total prize money for the tour is said to be $405 million.
&#8220;I’ll believe that when I see it… but as an adoptive parent and Christian, Bubba Watson should know that adoption is illegal in Saudi Arabia and so is practicing Christianity and that the man who could change that, but won’t, is in control of the fund that pays for LIV Golf,&#8221; Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee <a href="https://twitter.com/chambleebrandel/status/1536149305190498306">responded</a> last month when someone predicted that Watson would be among the next to join the tour.
The LIV circuit appears to be pulling out all the stops to bring over some big-name talents. Even American golf legend Tiger Woods <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/tiger-woods-rejected-mind-blowingly-enormous-offer-from-saudi-backed-league/">reported</a> that he had been approached by the league, although he rejected the offer. And LIV Golf creator Greg Norman revealed that the circuit had offered Woods a &#8220;mind-blowingly enormous&#8221; sum to make the jump.
Norman told The Washington Post that Woods&#8217; offer had reached high into nine-digit territory, but that he had turned it down. Fellow golf legend Jack Nicklaus also reportedly received — and rejected — an offer in the $100 million ballpark, while <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/saudi-golf-tour-reaches-deal-with-mickelson-after-landing-dustin-johnson-for-125m/">Phil Mickelson</a> signed with the controversial league for a whopping $200 million.

PGA Championship – Final Round

Golf Superstar Takes $50 Million Payday To Defect To Saudi-Backed LIV Circuit

Golf Superstar Bubba Watson Takes $50 Million Payday To Defect To Saudi-Backed LIV Circuit

A new <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/liv-golf">rival golf league</a> that is luring top U.S. players has caught the eye of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/department-of-justice">Department of Justice</a> (DOJ).
The Department has launched an investigation into the actions the Professional Golfers&#8217; Association (PGA) has taken against the new Saudi-backed LIV Invitational Golf Series, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/pga-tour-antitrust-liv-department-of-justice-investigation-11657557177">according</a> to a report by The Wall Street Journal.
DOJ is probing whether actions taken by the PGA to prevent players from going to the rival league amount to anti-competitive behavior, a source told the paper.
The PGA Tour has suspended players who have opted to play in the eight-week LIV series, which prompted LIV Chairman Greg Norman to charge the tour with running an “illegal monopoly.”
“This was not unexpected,” a PGA Tour spokesperson told The Journal. &#8220;We went through this in 1994, and we are confident in a similar outcome,&#8221; the person said, noting that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) investigated the PGA over players’ right to play in non-PGA events, a probe the FTC dropped the following year.
Last week, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/two-more-pro-u-s-golfers-jump-to-saudi-backed-tour-as-trump-urges-pga-exodus">two more PGA players jumped</a> to the Saudi-backed upstart league. Charles Howell III, 43, who hasn&#8217;t won a tournament since 2018, and Jason Kokrak, 37, who won twice in 2021, announced they are bailing to join the LIV Golf Invitational Series. The two U.S. players joined Henrik Stenson, 46, a two-time European Golfer of the Year who won the British Open in 2016.
Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump, who owns numerous golf courses around the world, jumped into the fray over the rival league, which has lured top golfers like Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, and Bryson DeChambeau with hundreds of millions of dollars.
“All of those golfers that remain ‘loyal’ to the very disloyal PGA, in all of its different forms, will pay a big price when the inevitable MERGER with LIV comes, and you get nothing but a big ‘thank you’ from PGA officials who are making Millions of Dollars a year,” Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/108668385062171695">wrote</a> on social media. “If you don’t take the money now, you will get nothing after the merger takes place, and only say how smart the original signees were. Good luck to all, and congratulations to really talented Cam Smith on his incredible WIN!”
In recent weeks, a slew of PGA members announced they would bail from the top league in the world to join LIV. Among them are Sergio Garcia, Talor Gooch, Andy Ogletree, Branden Grace, Matt Jones, Martin Kaymer, Graeme McDowell, Kevin Na, Louis Oosthuizen, Ian Poulter, Charl Schwartzel, Hudson Swafford, Peter Uihlein, Lee Westwood, and Turk Petit. 
The exodus prompted the PGA to take serious action.
“We have followed the Tournament Regulations from start to finish in responding to those players who have decided to turn their backs on the PGA Tour by willfully violating a regulation,” a PGA release last month <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pga-tour-to-punish-players-jumping-to-saudi-backed-liv-tournament">read</a>. “The players are being notified that they are suspended or otherwise no longer eligible to participate in PGA Tour tournament play, including the Presidents Cup. This also applies to all tours sanctioned by the PGA Tour: the Korn Ferry Tour, PGA Tour Champions, PGA Tour Canada and PGA Tour Latinoamerica.”
“The players listed below did not receive the necessary conflicting events and media rights releases — or did not apply for releases at all — and their participation in the Saudi Golf League/LIV Golf event is a violation of our Tournament Regulations,” the PGA added.
Joseph Curl has covered politics for 35 years, including 12 years as a White House correspondent for a national newspaper. He was also the a.m. editor of the Drudge Report for four years. Send tips to josephcurl@dailywire.com and follow him on Twitter @josephcurl.

2016 Masters Par 3

Justice Department Probes PGA Tour’s Battle Against New Saudi-Backed Golf League

Justice Department Probes PGA Tour's Battle Against New Saudi-Backed LIV Invitational Golf Series 

Department of Justice

Two more players on the Professional Golfers Association (PGA) have jumped to a Saudi-backed upstart league that has been sniping top players.
Charles Howell III, 43, who hasn&#8217;t won a tournament since 2018, and Jason Kokrak, 37, who won twice in 2021, announced they are bailing to join the LIV Golf Invitational Series. The two U.S. players joined Henrik Stenson, 46, a two-time European Golfer of the Year who won the British Open in 2016.
All three will be competing next week at the LIV event at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, N.J.
Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump, who owns numerous golf courses around the world, jumped into the fray over the rival league, which has lured top golfers like Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, and Bryson DeChambeau with hundreds of millions of dollars.
“All of those golfers that remain ‘loyal’ to the very disloyal PGA, in all of its different forms, will pay a big price when the inevitable MERGER with LIV comes, and you get nothing but a big ‘thank you’ from PGA officials who are making Millions of Dollars a year,” Trump wrote on social media. “If you don’t take the money now, you will get nothing after the merger takes place, and only say how smart the original signees were. Good luck to all, and congratulations to really talented Cam Smith on his incredible WIN!”
Meanwhile, a report from Irish Golfer <a href="https://irishgolfer.ie/latest-golf-news/2022/07/17/new-open-champ-cam-smith-set-to-turn-his-back-on-pga-tour-and-join-liv-golf/">says</a> U.S. superstar Bubba Watson is set to join the league along with Australian Marc Leishman.
In recent weeks, a slew of PGA members have announced they will bail from the top league in the world to join LIV. Among them are Sergio Garcia, Talor Gooch, Andy Ogletree, Branden Grace, Matt Jones, Martin Kaymer, Graeme McDowell, Kevin Na, Louis Oosthuizen, Ian Poulter, Charl Schwartzel, Hudson Swafford, Peter Uihlein, Lee Westwood, and Turk Petit. 
The exodus prompted the PGA to take serious action.
“We have followed the Tournament Regulations from start to finish in responding to those players who have decided to turn their backs on the PGA Tour by willfully violating a regulation,” a PGA release last month <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pga-tour-to-punish-players-jumping-to-saudi-backed-liv-tournament">read</a>. “The players are being notified that they are suspended or otherwise no longer eligible to participate in PGA Tour tournament play, including the Presidents Cup. This also applies to all tours sanctioned by the PGA Tour: the Korn Ferry Tour, PGA Tour Champions, PGA Tour Canada and PGA Tour Latinoamerica.”
“The players listed below did not receive the necessary conflicting events and media rights releases — or did not apply for releases at all — and their participation in the Saudi Golf League/LIV Golf event is a violation of our Tournament Regulations,” the PGA added.
Joseph Curl has covered politics for 35 years, including 12 years as a White House correspondent for a national newspaper. He was also the a.m. editor of the Drudge Report for four years. Send tips to josephcurl@dailywire.com and follow him on Twitter @josephcurl.
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President Trump Departs For Camp David

Two More Pro U.S. Golfers Jump To Saudi-Backed Tour As Trump Urges PGA Exodus

Two More Pro U.S. Golfers Jump To Saudi-Backed LIV Golf Invitational Series Tour As Former President Donald Trump Urges PGA Exodus

Donald Trump

Former President Donald Trump slammed the PGA Tour in a post on social media this week, encouraging professional golfers to leave and join Saudi Arabia&#8217;s new LIV Golf.
Trump&#8217;s post comes as the PGA Tour has struggled with players leaving and joining LIV Golf, including Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson.
&#8220;All of those golfers that remain &#8216;loyal&#8217; to the very disloyal PGA, in all of its different forms, will pay a big price when the inevitable MERGER with LIV comes, and you get nothing but a big &#8216;thank you&#8217; from PGA officials who are making Millions of Dollars a year,&#8221; Trump wrote. &#8220;If you don’t take the money now, you will get nothing after the merger takes place, and only say how smart the original signees were. Good luck to all, and congratulations to really talented Cam Smith on his incredible WIN!&#8221;
The PGA Tour was set to hold the 2022 PGA Championship at Trump&#8217;s Bedminster course, but reversed course on the decision after the January 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol.
Jim Richerson, PGA of America President, said in a statement on January 10, 2021, “The PGA of America Board of Directors voted tonight to exercise the right to terminate the agreement to play the 2022 PGA Championship at Trump Bedminster.”
“The PGA of America is [a] nearly 105-year-old association with a perpetual mission to serve its member golf professionals and to grow the game,” Richerson later added. “Fulfilling that mission for all and enabling PGA professionals to do so today and in the future is of paramount importance to the PGA board of directors and our leaders.”
“It has become clear that conducting the PGA Championship at Trump Bedminster would be detrimental to the PGA of America brand,” he continued. “It would put at risk the PGA’s ability to deliver our many programs and sustain the longevity of our mission.”
“Our board has thus made the decision to exercise our right to terminate the contract to hold the 2022 PGA Championship at Trump Bedminster,” he concluded. “It was a decision made to ensure that PGA of America and the PGA professionals can continue to lead and grow our great game for decades to come. Thank you for your continued support and passion for the game we all love.”
Trump is now letting LIV Golf host a tournament at his Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, <a href="https://www.golfdigest.com/story/donald-trump-speaks-out-phil-jack">saying</a> in an interview earlier this year that they approached him and asked to use the course.
“I made a deal with them. They’re very good people,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;They’re very fine people. Greg Norman’s been a total gentleman, you know, and he’s wanted to do this for years and now he has the right backers because, you know, [the Saudi money] is unlimited. They can do the job right. I think when you put up first-place prize money for $6 or $7 million, I think a lot of people are gonna be showing up, to be honest with you.”

Former President Trump Campaigns With House Candidate Sarah Palin And Senate Candidate Kelly Tshibaka In Anchorage, Alaska

Trump Issues Warning To PGA Players, Tells Them To Jump Ship To Saudi Arabia’s LIV Golf

Shortly after Aussie Cameron Smith won The Open Championship at St. Andrews on Sunday, he raised eyebrows when asked if he was planning on abandoning the U.S. golf tour to join the Saudi-backed Live Invitational Series.
Several golfers from the PGA have joined the league, with top players getting up to <a href="https://www.yardbarker.com/golf/articles/liv_golf_reportedly_paid_phil_mickelson_200m_to_join_league/s1_127_37566502">$200 million</a> to play the eight-event tour. So naturally, a cheeky reporter asked Smith if he, too, would bail.
“I just won the British Open, and you&#8217;re asking about that. I think that&#8217;s pretty not that good,” a miffed Smith said. But it was the rest of his answer that prompted questions. &#8220;I don&#8217;t know, mate,” Smith said. “My team around me worries about all that stuff. I&#8217;m here to win golf tournaments.” Golf Digest <a href="https://www.golfdigest.com/story/cameron-smith-liv-golf-british-open-2022">noted</a> that he didn&#8217;t reject the notion altogether, which he clearly could&#8217;ve done. Now comes a new report that Smith will be among six new members of the LIV series.
The Telegraph <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/golf/2022/07/17/cameron-smith-refuses-rule-liv-series-switch-ryder-cup-captain/">reports</a> that Greg Norman, CEO of Saudi-backed LIV Golf, &#8220;is pursuing the prospect of an entirely Australian team that would include both Smith and Adam Scott.&#8221;The Mirror went further, <a href="https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/golf/cameron-smith-open-liv-golf-27509827">saying</a>: &#8220;Open Championship winner Cameron Smith is reportedly set to lead six more stars joining the rebel Saudi tour as the LIV Golf saga continues.&#8221;
Meanwhile, a report from Irish Golfer <a href="https://irishgolfer.ie/latest-golf-news/2022/07/17/new-open-champ-cam-smith-set-to-turn-his-back-on-pga-tour-and-join-liv-golf/">says</a> another Aussie, Marc Leishman, is set to join the league, as are U.S. superstar Bubba Watson, 2023 European Ryder Cup captain Henrik Stenson, and England’s Tommy Fleetwood.
In recent weeks, a slew of PGA members has announced they will bail from the top league in the world to join LIV. Among them are Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia, Talor Gooch, Andy Ogletree, Branden Grace, Matt Jones, Martin Kaymer, Graeme McDowell, Kevin Na, Louis Oosthuizen, Ian Poulter, Charl Schwartzel, Hudson Swafford, Peter Uihlein, Lee Westwood, and Turk Petit. 
The exodus prompted the PGA to take serious action.
“We have followed the Tournament Regulations from start to finish in responding to those players who have decided to turn their backs on the PGA Tour by willfully violating a regulation,” a PGA release last month <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pga-tour-to-punish-players-jumping-to-saudi-backed-liv-tournament">read</a>. “The players are being notified that they are suspended or otherwise no longer eligible to participate in PGA Tour tournament play, including the Presidents Cup. This also applies to all tours sanctioned by the PGA Tour: the Korn Ferry Tour, PGA Tour Champions, PGA Tour Canada and PGA Tour Latinoamerica.”
“The players listed below did not receive the necessary conflicting events and media rights releases — or did not apply for releases at all — and their participation in the Saudi Golf League/LIV Golf event is a violation of our Tournament Regulations.”
Joseph Curl has covered politics for 35 years, including 12 years as a White House correspondent for a national newspaper. He was also the a.m. editor of the Drudge Report for four years. Send tips to josephcurl@dailywire.com and follow him on Twitter @josephcurl.

The 150th Open – Day Four

More Top PGA Golfers Defect To New Saudi-Backed League: Report

More Top PGA Golfers Set To Defect To New Saudi-Backed LIV Series Golf League: Report

Even as President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a> was returning from <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/saudi-arabia">Saudi Arabia</a> after begging for the release of more oil, relatives of people killed on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/9-11">Sept. 11, 2001</a>, are slamming former President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump">Donald J. Trump</a> for holding Saudi-backed golf tournaments at his golf courses in the United States.
The family members, part of a group called 9/11 Justice, penned a letter to Trump dated Sunday asking for a meeting. They urged him not to hold the event this month at Trump National Golf Club Bedminster in New Jersey and another in October at Trump National Doral Miami, noting that he has in the past blamed Saudi Arabia for the terrorist attack that left nearly 3,000 people dead.
“We simply cannot understand how you could agree to accept money from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s golf league to host their tournament at your golf course, and to do so in the shadows of ground zero in New Jersey, which lost over 700 residents during the attacks,” 9/11 Justice wrote in the letter.
“It is incomprehensible to us that a former president of the United States would cast our loved ones aside for personal financial gain. We hope you will reconsider your business relationship with the Saudi golf league and will agree to meet with us,&#8221; the group wrote.
The group also wrote that back in February 2016, Trump declared: &#8220;Who blew up the World Trade Center? It wasn’t the Iraqis. It was Saudi. Take a look at Saudi Arabia.&#8221; He later said, &#8220;The people came, most of the people came from Saudi Arabia. They didn’t come from Iraq,&#8221; 9/11 Justice noted.
Brett Eagleson, the president of 9/11 Justice whose father died in the attacks when he was 15 years old, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/17/us/politics/trump-liv-golf-bedminster.html?">told</a> The New York Times that he emailed the letter to a Trump aide. He said Trump holding the events at his courses is “allowing the Saudis to literally get away with murder if this golf tournament is allowed to proceed.&#8221;
“It just sends a message that with the right amount of money, you can make people forget about anything,” he told The Times, adding, “If anyone knows the extent of the Saudi role in 9/11, it’s Trump.”
In a somewhat ironic twist, Biden was just returning from Saudi Arabia when the group sent its email to Trump. During a Middle East trip that included a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/joe-biden-looks-lost-during-trip-to-israel-makes-holocaust-gaffe">stop</a> in Israel, Biden drew criticism after he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-laughs-when-asked-about-fist-bumping-mbs-dismisses-remarks-from-murdered-columnists-fiancee">fist-bumped</a> Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who allegedly was behind the 2018 <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/washington-post-issues-statement-about-biden-fist-bumping-saudi-crown-prince">killing</a> of  Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Joseph Curl has covered politics for 35 years, including 12 years as White House correspondent for a national newspaper. He was also the a.m. editor of the Drudge Report for four years. Send tips to josephcurl@dailywire.com and follow him on Twitter @josephcurl.

Scotland Protests At The Visit Of United States President Donald Trump

9/11 Families Rip Trump For Hosting Saudi-Backed Golf Tournaments At His Courses

Relatives Of 9/11 Victims Rip Trump For Hosting Saudi-Backed LIV Golf Series Tournaments At His Courses

9/11

The Department of Justice is investigating the PGA Tour for potentially engaging in anti-competitive behavior as the organization attempts to fend off the Saudi-backed LIV Golf circuit.
The PGA Tour confirmed the investigation to <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/pga-tour-antitrust-liv-department-of-justice-investigation-11657557177">The Wall Street Journal</a>. Attorneys with the Justice Department’s antitrust division have contacted players’ agents requesting information about the PGA’s bylaws and any restrictions it has placed on players participating in other tournaments.
“This was not unexpected,” a PGA Tour spokesman told WSJ. “We went through this in 1994 and we are confident in a similar outcome.”
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) previously investigated the PGA in 1994 over a rule banning golfers from participating in other tours without the PGA commissioners sign-off, and another rule governing golfers’ appearances on televised golf programs. The FTC dropped the investigation the next year.
The PGA and its allies in the international golf community have attempted to shut out LIV from top-tier talent with limited success. Despite strict regulation and indefinite suspensions, a number of golf stars have defected to the Saudi league, which offers record prizes and generous payouts for appearances. The LIV has attracted top golfers such as Bryson DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson, and Patrick Reed.
In a press conference in June, Dustin Johnson <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/liv-golf-dustin-johnson-pga-tour-phil-mickelson-centurion-11654613892">said</a> he moved to the LIV despite being suspended from the PGA because of the money.
“I thought it was best for me and my family,” Johnson said. “I don’t want to play golf for the rest of my life, which I felt like I was probably going to have to do.”
Not all golfers have been swayed by the money, however. Golf pros and PGA officials have been critical of the Saudi-backed circuit over Saudi Arabia’s history of human rights abuses. Golfer Rory McIlroy doubled down on his criticism of the new league last week.
“There’s no room in the golf world for LIV Golf,” McIlroy <a href="https://twitter.com/KylePorterCBS/status/1545906177715863552">said</a> in an interview with CBS Sports. “I don’t agree with what LIV is doing. If LIV went away tomorrow I’d be super happy.”
The PGA Tour began <a href="https://www.sportingnews.com/us/golf/news/pga-tour-liv-golf-invitational-series-denies-requests-illegal-monopoly/aeh7gduibpiy8sbkd4u5psfe">suspending</a> golfers last month after a host of players ignored the PGA and played in an LIV tournament in London. The golfers had requested permission to play from the PGA beforehand, but the organization denied each request.

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