Rose, Koepka, D.J., Bryson And The Big Saudi $$$ Controversy

Justin Rose uses the line that he is “not a politician.”

You’ll get the same spiel out of Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson and Bryson DeChambeau.

No, they are not politicians but this week they look a lot like Soldiers Of Fortune/Highly-Paid Mercenaries, peddling their particular set of skills to the highest bidder.  In this case, a very high, well-heeled bidder.

In the world of golf, as in the rest of the world, money talks and big money talks even louder.

The poverty-stricken European Tour had no problem taking a handout from Saudi Arabia, adding a new event that starts there on Thursday with the well-thought-out name Saudi International.

Which brings us to the international hot mess that came about last fall.

Keith Pelley, head Honcho of the European Tour told everyone he had no second thoughts about bringing this event to Saudi Arabia.

Pelley and his henchmen have naturally come under scrutiny after they decided to go ahead with the Saudi International in the wake of the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi last fall. Turkish media reported that Khashoggi, who wrote critically of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, was killed and dismembered inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.

Since Khashoggi was considered a correspondent of sorts for the Washington Post, this became one giant hot pile of political poop with all sorts of finger-pointing at President Donald Trump with the liberal left basically demanding that the U.S. figure out some means to punish the Saudis, and the Crown Prince in particular, for this heinous act.

First a quick history lesson.  The Khashoggis are not angels.  Jamal’s Uncle Adnan was one of the world’s biggest arms dealers back in the 80s.  He was the fattest of fat non-royal Saudi cats with net worth pushing three billion when three billion really meant something.  The guy had enemies.  He traveled aboard a heavy-arms 147-foot yacht and rarely spent more than one night in the same place.

He brokered most of the deals between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia — everything from jet fighters to tanks and assorted heavy weaponry for the Saudi armed forces.

Which brings us back to Jamal who basically got a hair up his butt and became a constant critic of the Crown Prince.  Bad idea.  There are other ways to fabric change, especially when you have access to large sums of money.

Alas, Jamal disappeared and the CIA agreed that the Crown Prince allegedly gave the order for Jamal to head to the next world and meet the 100 virgins waiting there for him.

Which brings us back to this week and the tournament known as the Saudi International.

The European Tour has held events in the Middle East since 1989, and there are now six tournaments on the Arabian Peninsula, but never have they attracted headlines like this one and its accompanying pile of Political Poop.

Pelley called this event an extension of the tour’s “Middle East strategy.”

“We have an excellent relationship with the Middle East, and it’s very important,” he said. “We can’t play anywhere in Europe this time of year. The Middle East becomes very important to us, from a climate perspective, to the ease of travel, to the quality of golf courses.”

And now to our American and English Soldiers of Fortune/Golf Mercenaries.

One recognizable name has made a stand and that would be Paul Casey.

Casey is a UNICEF ambassador, and has declined to show up in The Kingdom.

“I feel it is important to clarify that I will not be playing in next week’s Saudi International. Plus, contrary to reports I had also never signed a contract to play,” Casey said in a Tweet.

So when the action begins, the world’s No. 1, No. 2, No. 3 and No. 5 will be there showing off their skills.

No, they are not politicians, but like politicians, they have their hands out, ready and willing to take heavy cash when it is tossed their way.

Say hello to golf’s Soldiers Of Fortune.

Just don’t call them politicians.