It’s one thing to sneak over to Saudi Arabia for a quick week to snatch up some of the dirty Saudi money (yeah, you guys in the Saudi Invitational).
It’s another thing to basically become an “Ambassador” for the place where human rights are thrown out with dog poop.
None other than Jason Kokrak is your basic Saudi “Ambassador” under the guise of “Saudi Golf.” Kokrak makes no bones about it with his attitude, he’s willing to grab whatever money the Crown Prince and his band of henchmen, will throw out there for money-grabbing Tour players.
Recently, Kokrak expounded on the proposed Saudi Golf League:
“There’s been no official contract or anything that’s come my way. I’ve heard rumors of guys signing already, guys in extended talks with the Saudis. As I said before, I’m an independent contractor and I’m trying to take advantage. I’ve had long conversations with a couple of the elite players on the PGA Tour. I haven’t signed any $20 million contracts or any elevated contracts that would make me want to stay. I want to make as much money as I can in as little time.”
We had to plead with the dogs to allow Kokrak IN our Dog House, to no avail — he’ll have to stay outside.
The Saudis are not-nice folks. We checked in with a close friend, a retired, elite military operator who once upon a time was inside “The Kingdom.” We inquired if it’s as bad as it’s professed to be over there and his simple answer: “You have no idea!”
8 Comments
baxter cepeda
It’s complicated Tom. Yes the country has some serious black eyes, and they are recent at that. But Right now Saudi golf is giving the players a whole lot of leverage.
The Saudis will have to find a way to allow players to remain independent; then again so does the pga tour, which what did Phil just call them? Obnoxiously greedy or something like that because of media rights and waiver issues. The pga tour took 10% of Phil’s “the match” money.
As for Kokrak, the guy is probably making a whole lot of money to wear a logo. Money for his family. Athletes wear questionable logos all the time: cigarettes, alcohol, gambling. As tiger would say: it is what it is.
Tom Edrington
More on Greg and this for Friday; OBW, hardly anyone on the course for day one…..this isn’t about growing the game in a place where no one cares about the game, it’s about a power struggle — pure and simple.
baxter cepeda
It’s definitely not about growing the gene. It’s about growing wallets.
Tom Edrington
And a regime of fear; Just imagine Castro with unlimited money.
baxter cepeda
Lefty is looking and sounding like the Sharks right fin man; or is it left fin?
Tom Edrington
Considering the Tour has let Lefty get away with all sorts of shenanigans (Dean Foods, owing huge money to bookies) it’s hilarious to see him try and stay relevant. After missing his last two cuts, he may have to resort to taking the Saudi money, get banned for life, no Ryder Cup presidency, no more Tour events, no Champions Tour events; Guys who sign up for that league will be players without a country.
baxter cepeda
That’s just not a likely scenario imo. Guys like Phil -who is still very relevant- will more likely cause the pga tour to be more flexible with all this. As I’ve said before there will need to be a lot of compromise moving forward.
The pga tour does not benefit from blackballing top players, which would never threaten to leave in the first place if the pga tour changed some practices.
Phil maybe is pushing a bit much in this time of leverage for the players, but no doubt a lot of what Lefty is complaining about is very true.
The established tours need to focus on making their product better because this whole ‘their money is dirty’ argument is only going to help so much.
Yes it’s an Fd up regime. But may the country with no sins cast the first stone.
Lets remember we live in a country where we criticize how others treat their women, but we still underpay ours, limit their opportunities. We do the same to our black citizens and other minorities. Our police still treat blacks and other minorities incredibly unfairly. Our authorities usually defend police whom mishandle minority cases. Our issues go on and on.
That poor journalist should never have disappeared over there, but lets not pretend similar things haven’t happened on our soil and many of our friends.
I’m just saying there’s a lot to take into account with all these rival golf leagues, but there are no angels in all of this. The players need to decide what’s best for them and their families. The politics are irrelevant.
Keep in mind the DP world tour, who’s on the pga tours side now, only left the Saudis for business reasons, not politics. The Asian Tour picked up that business opportunity. And all the while the Golf channel and nbc have more western media in Saudi arabia for this event than in Beijing for the Olympics; which btw nbc media are not in Beijing because of Covid, not politics.
As Phil said it’s hard to know what will materialize from all these potential scenarios. But one that will increasingly not work with most players is the ‘we are good, they are bad, so work with us’ scenario. At the end of the day only money talks, which is why the tour is giving up so much more of it suddenly.
Tom Edrington
Sorry Baxter, it’s a Regime over there….simple as that, akin to a Police State, if I sat you with my neighbor (Special Forces operator) for about an hour, you’d totally change your mind on this…..the PGA Tour and DP World Tours will take a hard stance on this and NO ONE wants to be the first to sign with a league that probably won’t happen, countries friendly to the DP World Tour won’t schedule events in their nations, there won’t be any here….you’d have to play in Saudi Arabia and Asia and our spoiled super stars won’t become men without countries….not happening