(Los Angeles) The kick-off of the second golf tournament of the dissident LIV league, financially supported by Saudi Arabia, was given on Thursday in Oregon, in the United States, in the context of polemics and threats of legal action.
Posted yesterday at 11:20 p.m.
Mexico’s Carlos Ortiz, making his LIV debut, took the lead with a 67-under par after scoring seven birdies and two bogeys at Pumpkin Ridge near Portland , Oregon.
The American Dustin Johnson, winner of two Majors and ex-N. 1, one of the big names to join the LIV Golf league, was one stroke behind with a score of 68.
Despite the quality of the course and the participation of great players who have recently joined this league, such as Brooks Koepka, four-time Major winner, and Bryson DeChambeau, winner of the US Open 2020, the event does not has not escaped controversy.
Members of families bereaved during the September 11, 2001 attacks held a press conference to express their outrage.
Andre Aiken, who was three when his father, Terrance, died at the World Trade Center, was among those calling for Saudi Arabia to be held accountable for its role in the attacks that left thousands dead.
Fifteen of the 19 hijackers were Saudi nationals, in addition to al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, who orchestrated the attacks.
Mr. Aiken wanted to thank all the players who chose not to participate in this tournament and showed “that their silence cannot be bought”.
LIV golf, budgeted by Saudi Arabia and former Australian champion Greg Norman, has attracted some of the best players with $25 million in prize money for each of its tournaments.
This has drawn harsh criticism from human rights groups, who believe the circuit aims to improve the kingdom’s image through sport.
The golfers who have chosen to participate in the tournaments of this league – which also guarantees money to certain champions for their mere presence – have tried to distance themselves from these controversies.
DeChambeau, the 2020 US Open champion, told a pre-tournament press conference that it was time to “move on”.
But the most stubborn do not hesitate to attack the American circuit (US PGA Tour) and European circuit (DP World Tour) at the US PGA Tour, which have adopted a hard line against them, in particular by withdrawing their card as a member of the PGA Tour.
The DP World Tour has confirmed that it has received a letter from more than a dozen players threatening to take legal action if the fines and suspensions they received for playing in the first LIV Golf tournament at the start of June in England, were not cancelled.
They demanded a response by Friday and called for a meeting between DP World Tour officials and the players.