Greg Norman has come out swinging at the PGA Tour after his Saudi-backed golf league was given the cold shoulder by the game’s best players, labelling their actions as a “likely violation of the law”, while accusing the US-based tour of “bullying” and “intimidation”.
The rival tour had tried to poach stars likes like Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Bryson DeChambeau, Justin Thomas, Jon Rahm, Brooks Koepka, Collin Morikawa, Jordan Spieth and Dustin Johnson, despite all pledging allegiance to the PGA. Norman’s advances to the playing group has sparked a public relations storm, which has swallowed Phil Mickelson, who admitted he used the Saudi Super Golf League plan to earn leverage with the PGA Tour.
The players opted to turn their backs on Norman’s rich offer after a meeting with PGA Tour chief Jay Monahan, in which the commissioner warned them of life bans if they signed up for the new League. In response, Norman penned an open letter, depicting himself as part of the struggle for players rights, championing an individual’s right to play where they want.
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“As has been widely reported, you have threatened the players on the PGA Tour, all of whom are independent contractors, with lifetime bans if they decide to play golf in a league sponsored by anyone other than the Tour,” wrote the former world No.1.
“For decades, I have fought for the rights of players to enjoy a career in which they are rewarded fully and properly for their efforts. They are one-in-a-million athletes.
“Yet for decades, the Tour has put its own financial ambitions ahead of the players, and every player on the tour knows it.
“The Tour is the Players Tour not your administration’s Tour. Why do you call the crown jewel in all tournaments outside the Majors ‘The Players Championship’ and not ‘The Administration’s Championship?’
“But when you try to bluff and intimidate players by bullying and threatening them, you are guilty of going too far, being unfair, and you likely are in violation of the law.
“Simply put, you can’t ban players from playing golf. Players have the right and the freedom to play where we like.
“I know for a fact that many PGA players were and still are interested in playing for a new league, in addition to playing for the Tour. What is wrong with that?
“What is wrong with allowing players to make their own decisions about where to play and how often to play? What is so wrong with player choice? Why do you feel so threatened that you would resort to such a desperate, unwise, and unenforceable threat?”
In the letter, Norman also pointed to a recent article by the former chief lawyer to the Federal Trade Commission that stated a “lifetime ban is never going to happen”.
Norman added: “Competition in all aspects of life, sport, and business is healthy and the players deserve to be well compensated, which is why so many players have expressed an interest in playing in a new league.
“But when you threaten to end players’ careers and when you engage in unfair labour practices with your web of player restrictions, you demonstrate exactly why players are open minded about joining a league that treats players well, respects them, and compensates them according to their true worth.
“Commissioner – this is just the beginning. It certainly is not the end.”
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