It’s no secret that Greg Norman’s been pretty snuggly with the Saudis over the years and that His Sharkness is a popular guy over in “The Kingdom.”
Now, there are smoke signals all around the world of golf that Norman might be up to something big with his Middle East pals and it has to do with that proposed, upstart Premier Golf League, a concept that the Saudis seemingly stole from some Europeans and are ready and able to bankroll said upstart professional golf league with some serious, albeit dirty Saudi money.
On Friday the smoke signals spelled out the reality that Norman is officially on the Saudi payroll.
Norman has spent some quality time in “The Kingdom.” The Shark has designed golf courses for the Saudis and has been a star at their “Saudi Arabia Grows The Game” summits.
Here’s where it gets really, really compelling.
This giant salvo fired across the PGA Tour’s bow didn’t come as a surprise given how Norman got screwed over by the PGA Tour a few decades ago.
You may or may not recall that it was Norman acting as the driving force behind elite tournaments where only the top players in the world would compete. The tournaments would be in various countries and give golf some incredible international exposure. Well, the PGA Tour squashed Norman like a bug up against a windshield on the Autobahn over in speed-obsessed Germany.
You may or may not recall that the PGA Tour basically hijacked Norman’s idea and voila — we have the WGC events — as in World Golf Championship. Thank-you Greg, great idea, we liked it so much we threw you under the bus and made it our own. That’s basically how it played out with Norman, the PGA Tour and his idea for world competition.
Which brings us back to “The Kingdom” which was featured last Sunday on the CBS television weekly Sunday special 60 Minutes. There were incredible and very disturbing allegations made by one Saad Aliabri, who was once the second highest-ranking member in the Saudi Intelligence machine. Aliabri basically referred to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as a “psychopath.” Aliabri told how Mohammed bin Salman (aka The Crown Prince)forced him out and into exile. He fears for his life because he knows where all of the Saudis’ dirty laundry can be found.
His son and daughter have been jailed back in “The Kingdom” and he fears more retribution against his family members. He went so far as to say that one day, bin Salman’s “hit men” will find and kill him. Tough life for Aliabri although the CBS segment revealed he could be worth as much as $500 million. You can buy a lot of personal security with that kind of financial clout.
But we digress. What everyone does know is that you don’t want to piss off The Crown Prince (Jamal Khashoggi did just that).
Which brings us back to “Sharkie” and his new job as the rising Commish of the proposed Premier Golf League.
Let’s go back in time, just a moment and take in a quote from Norman when he spoke about the state of things on the PGA Tour:
“In the middle second quarter of next year, I’ll invite you guys down to my office. We will tell you exactly how we’re going to break this cast iron that’s been wrapped around golf for so long. We’re going to shatter it. The institutions (USGA, R&A, PGA of America, PGA Tour) will eventually buy into it because they will have to buy into it. They won’t have a choice.”
That was Norman speaking to Brad Clifton, writer for Golf Digest Australia.
So here’s what we’ve got:
Greg Norman got run over by the PGA Tour decades ago. They stole his thunder, and put together the WGC events that attract such great fields today. Tiger Woods won enough of them for four or five Hall of Fame careers.
Greg Norman is always looking for something to fatten his wallet. Witness his agent Bart Collins, who once told someone in our inner circle: “You can always use an extra million.”
No telling what kind of money the Crown Prince and his henchmen are throwing Norman’s way.
Can you sense the unease and squirming up at PGA Tour headquarters in Ponte Vedra Beach?
And don’t forget that looming showdown with Dustin Johnson and “his people” as D.J. and a half-dozen or so other Tour players are requesting waivers from The Sheriff of Nottingham (aka Tour Commish Jay Monahan) to play in the 2022 Saudi International.
There’s a storm brewing on the golf horizon.
Breaking News: Norman was named CEO of LIV Golf Investments on Friday, which has committed $200 million to the Asian Tour to back the new series and “set in motion a number of momentous developments for professional golf worldwide.”
“This is only the beginning,” Norman said in the LIV press release. “LIV Golf Investments has secured a major capital committment that will be used to create additive new opportunities across worldwide professional golf.”
